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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom on Friday, stated that his drive to win and novelty within the sport motivated his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Financial Stakes and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he put in $40 million of his own funds into the Cup Series operation co-founded with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated during testimony. “As a newcomer, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport required examination from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Renewal Demands

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar granted each team a “charter”. This system mirrors other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for an hour and left the court to pandemonium, with fans and media vying for a glimpse or a photo of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and Heather Gibbs, who preceded Jordan, are events from September 2024. She recounted a frantic and emotional period where the sanctioning body told teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. The document spanned over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

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

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

Ultimately, the pushback against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, noting that he bought a third charter last year for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, which she said a written letter to Nascar. She testified the pressure of the signature deadline was problematic.

According to her, the team founder first tried to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

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