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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 motivated his effort with 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

Jordan shared operational insights of his 23XI team, revealing he invested $40m of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team launched with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan stated during testimony. “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 required examination through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Renewal Demands

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other professional sports with separately owned franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters vying for a view or a picture of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a operating model Jordan said is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and Heather Gibbs, who preceded 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 charter agreement extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports concluded their sole viable path was to decline to sign that 112-page package and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

The team owners reached out to Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

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

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he said, noting that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, which she said a written letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the contract signing demand was problematic.

She said, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Don’t do this to us,” Heather Gibbs said Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s leadership. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, I have 30.”