The anti-trust lawsuit filed by NASCAR Cup Series teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against the sport’s sanctioning body has come to an end. The teams filed suit against NASCAR in September 2024 and reached a settlement in December 2025.
The latest development in the legal battle is that the case has been dismissed, now that both parties have reached a settlement. In the wake of the sides settling, 23XI and Front Row have both signed a new charter agreement.
23XI Racing, co-owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan and Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin, along with Front Row Motorsports filed a lawsuit against NASCAR in September 2024 after failing to reach a charter agreement ahead of the 2025 season.
The teams accused the sport and its CEO Jim France of monopolistic practices and for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. Amid the ongoing legal battle, the teams had their charters for the 2025 season revoked.
After a nine-day trial in December 2025, both sides reached a settlement. The teams were granted “evergreen” charters by NASCAR. The financial details of the settlement are being left confidential.
How Jordan, Hamlin Reacted After Reaching Lawsuit Settlement
After a grueling 15 months of back-and-forth between themselves and NASCAR, 23XI Racing co-owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin finally reached a settlement in the anti-trust lawsuit last December.
In a statement following the settlement, Jordan, a six-time NBA champion, expressed how the lawsuit was “progress” from the start and making sure the sport evolved positively for everyone involved.
“With a foundation to build equity and invest in the future and a stronger voice in the decisions ahead, we now have the chance to grow together and make the sport even better for generations to come. I’m excited to watch our teams get back on the track and compete hard in 2026,” Jordan said.
Hamlin, a 60-time Cup Series winner, said in a statement that racing is all he’s ever known, which is why it was important to the Virginia native to fight for what he believed in an effort to make the sport better.
“We believed it was worth fighting for a stronger and more sustainable future for everyone in the industry. Teams, drivers and partners will now have the stability and opportunity they deserve. Our commitment to the fans and to the entire NASCAR community has never been stronger. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, and now it is time to move forward together and build the stronger future this sport deserves,” Hamlin said.
23XI Racing Enters Sixth Full-Time Season
Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin joined forces to form 23XI Racing ahead of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. Since then, the organization has become one of the sport’s front runners with nine team victories and a best finish of fourth in the points standings.
This season marks the sixth full-time season for the team. The organization fields three full-time cars in the Cup Series, fielded by Bubba Wallace (#23), Tyler Reddick (#45), and Riley Herbst (#35).
Last season, Wallace made the playoffs following a win in the Brickyard 400 in July. Reddick made the playoffs, too, although went winless on the campaign. Herbst went winless and failed to make the playoffs amid his rookie season.
NASCAR Lawsuit Comes to a Close in Massive Update