23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports Granted Preliminary Injunction in Antitrust Case Against NASCAR
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a significant development in the ongoing antitrust case against NASCAR, U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth D. Bell granted a preliminary injunction to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports on Wednesday. This ruling allows the two teams to compete as chartered teams in the 2025 season.
The judge emphasized the importance of fans being able to watch all teams compete with their best drivers and most competitive teams. NASCAR has not yet responded to the ruling or indicated whether they plan to appeal.
23XI Racing, owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, along with Front Row Motorsports, refused to sign the revenue-sharing offers presented by NASCAR just before the start of the playoffs in September. These offers were described as take-it-or-leave-it deals, prompting the teams to file an antitrust suit against NASCAR.
Charters in NASCAR serve as franchises, providing teams with guaranteed prize money, a spot in the field each week, and other protections. The ongoing lawsuit alleges that NASCAR owners are acting as “monopolistic bullies.”
Following the preliminary injunction, 23XI and Front Row can now sign charter agreements while continuing to pursue their legal case. Additionally, they have been granted permission to acquire additional charters from Stewart Haas Racing, which closed its four-team operation at the end of the 2024 season.
Both teams expressed relief and excitement following the ruling, as it secures their participation in the upcoming season. The decision also resolved potential contract issues with drivers like Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
Michael Jordan has been vocal about taking a stand on behalf of all teams in NASCAR, emphasizing the need for fair competition within the sport. While NASCAR argued that the teams simply disagreed with the terms of the charter agreement, the court’s decision supports the claims made by 23XI and Front Row.
Front Row Motorsports, owned by businessman Bob Jenkins, and 23XI Racing, owned by Jordan, Hamlin, and Curtis Polk, are now set to expand their operations with the acquisition of additional charters. This move signifies a significant step forward for both teams in the competitive landscape of NASCAR.
The ruling not only benefits the two teams involved but also upholds the public interest in promoting a diverse and competitive field of participants in NASCAR. The ongoing legal battle between the teams and NASCAR highlights the complexities of competition and fairness within the sport.
