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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a federal courtroom on Friday, stated that his drive to win and novelty within the sport emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his racing venture, saying he put in $40 million of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, 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 from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Renewal Demands

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with separately owned franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar demanded teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and left the court to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a view or a picture of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a operating model Jordan said is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and Heather Gibbs, who testified before Jordan, are events from September 2024. Gibbs described a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body told 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 Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded 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 approached 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 driven by the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he said, noting that he bought a third charter last year for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

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

According to her, the team founder first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Don’t do this to 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 I have 30, I have 30.”