Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing, along with Front Row Motorsports, are suing NASCAR. (Photo by Chris Gracen/Getty Images)
Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing have filed for a preliminary injunction that would allow both teams to race as charter entries in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series.
Both teams said they intended to apply for an injunction a week ago when they filed suit against NASCAR over the sanctioning body’s new charter agreement. FRM and 23XI are the only two teams that did not sign franchise agreements by the early September deadline. Thirteen other charter teams also signed the agreement.
โThe 23XI and Front Row Motorsports teams are fully committed to competing in the Cup Series next year,โ a team statement said. “Today’s procedural filing is the next step in advancing our lawsuit against NASCAR and its monopolistic practices while protecting drivers, race teams and sponsors by establishing the legal right to hold the race in 2025.”
23XI is co-owned by Michael Jordan and Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin. Front Row Motorsports has been competing in the Cup Series for nearly 20 years. Both teams aim to increase their fleet from two to three cars by 2025.
Charter teams are guaranteed a spot in all races and receive more funding than open teams. In its lawsuit against NASCAR, the team said it cost $18 million per season to develop a competitive car. And this figure does not include driver salaries.
The lawsuit accuses NASCAR of being monopolistic. NASCAR sent a final draft charter to teams the week before the playoffs began, giving teams time to accept the terms. NASCAR declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The current charter agreement, along with NASCAR’s current media rights agreement, expires at the end of the 2024 season. Starting next season, NASCAR will add TNT and Amazon as media partners through the 2031 season.