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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and status as a newcomer motivated his effort with 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed operational insights of his 23XI team, saying he invested $40 million of his own funds into the Cup Series operation co-founded with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan stated during testimony. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. 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.”

Central Issue: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was set to expire 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 fans and media clamoring for a glimpse or a photo of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a business model Jordan said is unlawful to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and Heather Gibbs, who testified before Jordan, are details from September 2024. She recounted a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body told teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. This agreement spanned over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in every race.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to refuse a signature that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was mostly about the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he said, sharing that he bought a third charter last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

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

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

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s executives. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, that’s the number.”