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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and novelty within the sport motivated his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of competition laws.

Financial Stakes and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed operational insights of his racing venture, revealing he put in $40 million of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “As a newcomer, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport required examination through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other professional sports with independent franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a view or a picture of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a business model Jordan said is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are details from September 2024. She recounted a hectic and tense period where the sanctioning body told teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. This agreement spanned over a hundred pages detailing team compensation and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports concluded their sole viable path was to decline to sign that 112-page package and litigate the matter. All other teams agreed to the terms.

The team owners reached out to Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Victory

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a unsustainable system was driven by the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, noting that he bought a third charter last year for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Heather Gibbs detailed her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the signature deadline was problematic.

She said, the team founder first tried to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but CEO Jim France declined the request.

“Don’t do this to us,” Heather Gibbs said Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s executives. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, that’s the number.”