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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a federal courtroom on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and novelty within the sport emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared operational insights of his racing venture, saying he invested $40 million of his own funds into the Cup Series operation launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan stated in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on 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 Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other professional sports with independent franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with fans and media vying for a glimpse or a picture of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

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 testified before Jordan, are details from September 2024. Gibbs described a hectic and tense period where the sanctioning body told teams they must sign a contract extension. The document spanned over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded their only feasible option was to decline to sign that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

The team owners reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

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

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car improved our chances to win,” he said, noting that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28m despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a written letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

She said, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Heather Gibbs said Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s leadership. She said France replied, “Whether I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, I have 30.”