Co-founder of 23XI Racing Denny Hamlin has called out NASCAR and its CEO Jim France, for exercising the sport’s powers in an “unfair manner.” His team and Front Row Motorsports have taken legal action, filing an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR in a federal court in North Carolina, as announced in a joint statement on Wednesday.
In 2021, Hamlin teamed up with NBA legend Michael Jordan, and business partner Curtis Polk to launch 23XI Racing, marking his investment into NASCAR. Although the team has achieved notable success on the track, the past two years have been fraught with off-track tension, largely due to ongoing disputes with NASCAR over a new charter agreement.
The lawsuit stems from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports refusing to sign NASCAR’s final charter proposal at Atlanta Motor Speedway last month. Teams had been negotiating for two years, with a key sticking point being NASCAR’s rejection of making charters permanent.
Hamlin, also a Cup Series driver for Joe …