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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his competitive side and status as a newcomer motivated his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his racing venture, saying he invested $40m of his own funds into the Cup Series operation co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said during testimony. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. I felt I could challenge Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Renewal Demands

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other major leagues with independent franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with fans and media clamoring for a view or a photo of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan contended is unlawful to maintain excessive control.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from September 2024. Gibbs described a hectic and tense six hours where the racing circuit told teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. The document spanned 112 pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that his team and its ally concluded their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Bottom Line: Victory

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a unsustainable system was driven by the usual bottom line for Jordan: Success.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he said, sharing that he purchased another franchise last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Heather Gibbs detailed her request for permanent charters, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She testified the timing of the contract signing demand was problematic.

She said, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s leadership. The response was, “Whether I have 20 charters, I have 20. If there are 30, that’s the number.”