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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom on Friday, stated that his drive to win and novelty within the sport 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 $40 million of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said during testimony. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I felt I could challenge Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Renewal Demands

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a “charter”. This system mirrors other professional sports with independent franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters vying for a view or a picture of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan contended is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are details from September 2024. She recounted a frantic and emotional six hours where the racing circuit told teams they had to sign a contract extension. This agreement spanned over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their only feasible option was to refuse a signature that 112-page package and litigate the matter. All other teams signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was mostly about the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he said, sharing that he purchased another franchise last year for $28m despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a written letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the signature deadline 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.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Gibbs recounted 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, that’s the number.”