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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a federal courtroom on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and status as a newcomer motivated his effort with 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Financial Stakes and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he invested $40 million of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” 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 it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with independent franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with fans and media vying for a view or a picture of the global icon.

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 said is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are details from September 2024. She recounted a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed spot in every race.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports 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 approached Nascar about potential amendments or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

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

“Denny convinced me adding a third car improved our chances to win,” he testified, sharing that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Heather Gibbs detailed her request for permanent charters, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the signature deadline didn’t sit well.

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

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