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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his drive to win and novelty within the sport motivated his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Financial Stakes and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed operational insights of his 23XI team, saying he put in $40m of his own funds into the Cup Series operation co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan stated during testimony. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I felt I could challenge Nascar in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport required examination from a different view.”

Central Issue: Franchise System and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other major leagues with independent franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan testified for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with fans and media clamoring for a view or a picture of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a operating model Jordan said is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are details from September 2024. She recounted a frantic and emotional six hours where the sanctioning body told teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. This agreement consists of over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed spot in every race.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to refuse a signature that extensive document and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Bottom Line: Winning

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car improved our chances to win,” he said, sharing that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the contract signing demand was problematic.

She said, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s executives. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, I have 30.”