Did NASCAR just experience a calm before the storm? 23XI Racing co-owners, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, have been against NASCAR’s charter agreement, but for a while, there was no major update. The team refused to sign the deal, and NASCAR was not going to budge to negotiate their demands. Along with 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports have also withheld the agreement, waiting for a better deal. But to no avail.
September 6th was the deadline for teams to get on board with the charter agreement, and now it’s been almost a month past it. The two teams show no sign of budging and now things have taken a legal turn. Without a charter agreement, both teams will lose out on a lot of potential revenue from the TV rights. To make sure everything falls in place, the two teams have now filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and the France family. Looking at this, fans have gotten excited to see someone go up against the governing body and now all they have to do is wait and watch.
NASCAR getting sued by Michael Jordan
The charter situation is getting heated up as 23XI Racing and NASCAR have not yet come to an agreement. According to NASCAR officials, the organization cannot negotiate terms with the two teams because the rest of the grid has aligned with their terms. Although some teams like Hendrick Motorsports have stated that they aren’t happy with the deal, they did it to avoid future troubles.
That might be the case with HMS, but Michael Jordan is not backing down. In the lawsuit, the teams stated, “The France family and NASCAR are monopolistic bullies, and bullies will continue to impose their will to hurt others until their targets stand up and refuse to be victims. That moment has now arrived.” The entire situation started because Jordan, Hamlin, and the owners of FRM believed that the new system limits teams by binding them to the series.
Jeffery Kessler, an antitrust attorney, was brought onto the case, and the teams now seek details “related to their exclusionary practices and intent to insulate themselves from any competition.” Michael Jordan is unhappy with how the team is being treated and being an athlete of the highest caliber, he is not letting this slide. Sure, the situation had calmed down when the playoffs started, but now that Hamlin is in the safe zone, it has become time to take action.
23XI and Front Row: “The France family and NASCAR are monopolistic bullies. And bullies will continue to impose their will to hurt others until their targets stand up and refuse to be victims. That moment has now arrived.” – @AP https://t.co/cP1UdouYE9
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) October 2, 2024
To add to the situation, many fans are unhappy with how the teams are being treated, and they have started to join Jordan’s cause. When this news surfaced on X, fans couldn’t help but take to the comment section to make sure NASCAR and the France family heard them too. Most of the fans came in support of the lawsuit, and here is what the 23XI Racing and FRM fan army had to say.
NASCAR losing popularity points among fans
Fans are having a field day with the news of 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports taking legal action against NASCAR. One fan who was looking for some sports drama got what they wanted as they commented, “This will be fun to follow.” For this fan, the playoffs might not be as controversial as the two teams taking on the entire organization.
While most teams succumbed to NASCAR’s pressure, this fan respects the two teams’ decision to stand up to the big name. “Respect to 23XI and Front Row for having the balls to do this. Someone had to stand up to Jim France and NASCAR’s b–ch a–es.”From how candid the comment looks, it can be said that the fan is not happy with how NASCAR and the France family have treated the teams.
A veteran fan stated, “As a 25+yr nascar fan, this is the best thing I have ever read.” The fan who has spent a quarter of a century following the sport is really enjoying seeing the big organization getting sued by the teams. From their comment, it can be deduced that they love the sport but not the organizers and how they make decisions.
Another fan came in to share words of support for 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, saying, “Good. I hope they win against NASCAR.” The fans are not okay with how NASCAR has been trying to force the teams into the agreement, and this fan wants NASCAR to lose the suit.
Looking at it from an outside perspective, this fan shared their prediction of how the lawsuit will go. In their comment, they said, “23XI will lose money. NASCAR will lose money, and lawyers get new yachts and summer homes.” According to them, both parties will only lose money in this situation to make the lawyers much richer in the process.
Looking at this, do you think that the two teams made the right choice to sue NASCAR? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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