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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and status as a newcomer emboldened his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed operational insights of his 23XI team, saying he put in $40 million of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I felt I could challenge Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport required examination through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and left the court to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters vying for a view or a photo of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

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

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from September 2024. She recounted a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their only feasible option was to refuse a signature that extensive document and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin approached Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Victory

But in the end, the pushback against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he testified, noting that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, submitted in a formal letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the signature deadline was problematic.

She said, the team founder first tried to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but CEO Jim France refused the appeal.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Gibbs recounted Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s executives. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If I have 30, I have 30.”