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NASCAR News: 2 Cup teams file antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR

Posted by AR1 staff

Two NASCAR teams, including one owned by basketball icon Michael Jordan, accused NASCAR of being a monopoly in a joint antitrust lawsuit filed Wednesday morning in federal court.

23XI Racing, the team co-owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, joined with Front Row Motorsports to allege NASCAR and its CEO Jim France have used “anticompetitive and exclusionary practices” to “enrich themselves at the expense of the premier stock car racing teams.”

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NASCAR did not offer an immediate comment as it is reviewing the filing.

The teams claim that while even the winningest organizations struggle to break even, NASCAR has unlawfully blocked the formation or growth of any other series — thus forcing competitors “to accept take-it-or-leave-it economic conditions” in order to participate.  The Athletic

AND: 23XI and Front Row Motorsports issued a joint statement Wednesday morning:

“We share a passion for racing, the thrill of competition, and winning. Off the racetrack, we share a belief that change is necessary for the sport we love. Together, we brought this antitrust case so that racing can thrive and become a more competitive and fair sport in ways that will benefit teams, drivers, sponsors, and, most importantly, fans’.”

The lawsuit seeks details from NASCAR and France “related to their exclusionary practices and intent to insulate themselves from any competition.” [Jeffrey Kessler, a top antitrust attorney] said he would ask for a preliminary injunction that will enable the two teams to compete in 2025 under the new charter agreement while the litigation proceeds.

The teams said they will seek treble damages for anti-competitive terms that have ruled the sport since the initial 2016 charter agreement.

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NASCAR, based in Daytona Beach, Florida, had no immediate comment.  Associated Press