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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom on Friday, stated that his competitive side and novelty within the sport emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Financial Stakes and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he put in $40m of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said during testimony. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. 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: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with independent franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was due to end 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 onlookers and reporters clamoring for a glimpse or a picture of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and Heather Gibbs, who testified before Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a hectic and tense six hours where the racing circuit told teams they must sign a contract extension. This agreement spanned over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to refuse a signature that 112-page package and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

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 unsustainable system was mostly about the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he said, sharing that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Heather Gibbs detailed her push for indefinite franchises, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She testified the timing of the contract signing demand was problematic.

According to her, 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,” Heather Gibbs said Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s executives. The response was, “Whether I have 20 charters, I have 20. If there are 30, that’s the number.”