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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his drive to win and status as a newcomer motivated his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

Jordan shared operational insights of his 23XI team, saying he invested $40m of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said during testimony. “I was a new person, 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.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other major leagues with separately owned franchises, like 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 about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with fans and media clamoring for a view or a picture of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a operating model Jordan contended is unlawful to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a hectic and tense six hours where the racing circuit informed teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign 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 potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Victory

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a unsustainable system was driven by the usual bottom line for Jordan: Success.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he said, noting that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

According to her, the team founder first tried to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

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