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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and status as a newcomer emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed operational insights of his 23XI team, revealing he put in $40m of his own funds into the Cup Series operation launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan stated in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. 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 teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters vying for a glimpse or a photo of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a hectic and tense period where the sanctioning body told teams they must sign a contract extension. The document spanned over a hundred pages detailing team compensation and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and litigate the matter. All other teams agreed to the terms.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Victory

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he testified, sharing that he bought a third charter last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Heather Gibbs detailed her request for permanent charters, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the contract signing demand was problematic.

She said, the team founder first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Don’t do this to us,” Heather Gibbs said was the message to Nascar’s executives. She said France replied, “Whether I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, I have 30.”