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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his competitive side and novelty within the sport motivated his push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over alleged violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he invested $40 million of his own funds into the Cup Series operation co-founded with business partner Curtis 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 in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with independent franchises, such as the NBA’s 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 left the court to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a view or a picture of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to change a business model Jordan said is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and Heather Gibbs, who testified before Jordan, are events from September 2024. She recounted a frantic and emotional six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. This agreement consists of 112 pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded their only feasible option was to decline to sign that 112-page package and litigate the matter. All other teams signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin approached Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Bottom Line: Winning

Ultimately, the pushback against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was mostly about the usual bottom line for Jordan: Success.

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he said, sharing that he purchased another franchise last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

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

She said, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but CEO Jim France refused the appeal.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Heather Gibbs said Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s executives. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If there are 30, that’s the number.”