MICHAEL JORDAN VS. NASCAR: ANTITRUST TRIAL THREATENS TO 'RIP APART' SERIES
Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports launch an antitrust trial against NASCAR over its charter system, exposing financial data and scandalous executive communications.
Michael Jordan's legal battle with NASCAR is going to federal court on Monday. The jury trial could shake up the top motorsports series in the U.S.
The NBA legend, 62, was seen arriving at the Western District of North Carolina for a trial that could change NASCAR forever. The antitrust claims, brought by Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, have revealed some juicy personal messages, NASCAR's financial details, and a lot of bad blood between some of the sport's top people and those who participate in it.
Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI with Jordan and almost won the Cup Series championship recently, said that things will get real during the two-week trial.
Our fans have been fed NASCAR's talking points for years, Hamlin posted on social media. The lies end Monday morning. It's time for the truth. It's time for a change.
NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps said that the series tried its best to settle the case before the trial.
The lawsuit was filed by 23XI Racing, owned by Jordan, Hamlin, and Jordan's longtime business manager, Curtis Polk. They were joined by Front Row Motorsports, owned by Bob Jenkins, which won the 2021 Daytona 500. These two teams were the only ones out of 15 that didn't agree to renew their charter agreements with NASCAR in late 2024.
All 15 teams had been pushing for better terms in the charter agreements for over two years. The final terms didn't quite meet their expectations. 23XI and Front Row accused NASCAR of being a monopoly and sued based on antitrust laws.
The charter system, started in 2016, is like the franchise model used by most other pro sports leagues. A charter guarantees a car a spot in the 40-car field for every race, plus a set payout from the weekly prize money.
Even with the charters, the teams argue that the money setup isn't working. They wanted the charters to be permanent (right now, they can be renewed or taken away), a bigger cut of the revenue, and a say in how things are run.
23XI and Front Row didn't think the new charter agreements did enough to meet those needs, so they didn't sign. They say NASCAR has too much control over the racing series and allege a monopoly based on exclusive deals, owning most of the race tracks, and controlling the rules.
23XI and Front Row also want a lot of money from NASCAR to cover their legal fees and the money they've lost this year from not having charters.
NASCAR, founded 76 years ago by the France family, says it hasn't broken antitrust law because it hasn't done anything to limit trade beyond normal business practices.
NASCAR says that payouts in the 2025 charter agreement went up, which shows it's not anticompetitive. They also point out that cars can enter races as open teams and try to qualify for one of the four spots for non-chartered teams. 23XI and Front Row have been open teams, and while their six cars made every race, it cost them millions in prize money.
The legal process before the trial showed that NASCAR made over $100 million in 2024.
The legal discovery phase has been tough, with some embarrassing personal messages from NASCAR leaders and the two teams coming to light.
Phelps and other NASCAR leaders called Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress a dinosaur, an idiot, and a stupid redneck. They also said Childress owes his entire fortune to NASCAR and needs to be taken out back and flogged.
Another NASCAR person said that fans of the sport aren't smart, and some series leaders criticised Hall of Fame driver Tony Stewart's summer racing series, SRX, and threatened to shut it down because NASCAR drivers were involved.
On the other side, the president of 23XI said that NASCAR chairman Jim France would have to die for them to get good charter terms. Hamlin admitted he doesn't like the France family, one of Jordan's advisors said Hamlin wasn't a good businessman, and Jordan joked that he loses more money in a casino than he pays one of his drivers.
NASCAR wants Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske, two of the most powerful team owners, to testify, but neither wants to. They've asked not to even be questioned, but if they have to be, they want the questions limited to charters.
Hendrick and Penske are among a lot of owners who have supported NASCAR in defence of the charter system. This shows that the teams that aren't suing don't want the charter system to be ended, which could happen if NASCAR loses the case.
But many of the team owners still said that the 2025 charter agreements don't give them everything they want.
Also, NASCAR has asked that Polk and Hamlin not be allowed to sit in court before they testify. A decision on that hadn't been made as of Sunday night.
Jordan, who is from North Carolina, got permission to be in the courtroom for the whole trial. A spokesperson for the two teams said that Jordan and Jenkins plan to be very involved in their case.
The case could still be settled at any time, even after a ruling is made and it goes to appeal.
If 23XI and Front Row win, the jury will decide how much money they get, and the judge can change that number and even triple it. The judge would also be in charge of fixing any monopoly that's found.
NASCAR could be ordered to have the France family sell the sport or the tracks it owns, end the charter system, or make the charters permanent. Anything is possible.
If NASCAR wins, 23XI and Front Row might not stay in business after 2026, and the six charters being held aside would likely be sold to others. The last charter sold for $45 million, and NASCAR says there's a lot of interest from potential buyers, including investment firms.
NFL EXECUTIVE NAMES COLE PAYTON HIS "NO. 2 QUARTERBACK" IN THE 2026 CLASS
From 94.6 PFF grades to 4.56 speed, Cole Payton is the Eagles' latest QB project. Analysing his path to the NFL depth chart.
Cole Payton, who played quarterback at North Dakota State, might end up making a bigger splash as a fifth-round pick than people expect.
He’s not just another late-round flyer, either. An NFL executive recently told insider J.L. Canfora that Payton has real upside. The Eagles have done something similar before, so this isn't coming out of nowhere.
Remember Carson Wentz? Philly grabbed him with the second overall pick back in 2016, but Jalen Hurts ended up taking over. Now, some people around the league think history might repeat itself with Payton possibly replacing Hurts down the road.
The executive went all in on Payton: “You know, I believe in that kid. That was my No. 2 quarterback in the draft. And Howie [Roseman] takes him? Come on. He sees it too. Cole Payton, if you bring him along the right way, can start in this league.”
Roseman, the guy in Philly’s front office, was a big part of the Wentz pick. He’s seen his fair share of quarterback changes over the years, and honestly, that might matter this time, too.
The executive didn’t hold back: “All the stuff you hear about Hurts, all the drama and where he is in his contract." You can call me crazy, but I think this kid could take over from him in a few years. They did this with [Kevin] Kolb, even when [Donovan] McNabb was still there. I know how Howie thinks. This kid has a chance.”
Payton had to wait for his turn at NDSU.
Payton rolled into North Dakota State in 2021, known as a strong recruit for an FCS quarterback, straight out of Omaha.
He was supposed to be the next big thing, just like the string of successful Bison quarterbacks before him. But things didn’t break that way at first. Cam Miller, the QB ahead of him, kept stacking up wins and making a name for himself in Fargo.
Miller even beat out Quincy Patterson II, a gifted dual-threat quarterback who transferred in from Virginia Tech. After Patterson got banged up in 2021, Miller took over, steered the team to a national championship, and then hung on to the starting job through 2024.
Patterson left for Temple, so Payton slid into the Bison’s running packages in a spot that Patterson had filled before. And Payton did more than just fill that role. In 2022, he ran for 284 yards and two touchdowns on 38 carries. By the next year, he really took off: 615 yards and 13 touchdowns on 84 carries.
Setback, then a breakout
Payton started 2024 looking like the same kind of threat on the ground, but a shoulder injury cut his season short. He only managed 164 rushing yards and a score on 21 carries before he went down.
Finally, in 2025, his shot as the full-time starter arrived after Miller left for the NFL draft, drafted by the Raiders in the sixth round. Payton made the most of it. He led NDSU to an unbeaten 12-0 regular season, completing 70% of his passes for 2,719 yards, with 16 touchdowns and just four picks. And he still ran wild, with 777 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 136 carries.
Now, he’s got a fresh chance in Philadelphia. If you ask people around the league, he’s not just there to hold a clipboard. They're watching to see what happens next.
DAVE ROBERTS COMPARES LEFTY JUSTIN WROBLESKI TO CLAYTON KERSHAW AFTER METS GEM
Discover how Justin Wrobleski transitioned from the bullpen to becoming the Dodgers' statistical leader in a historic 2026 run.
Dave Roberts gets it; he isn’t surprised Logan Webb might’ve hit Daulton Rushing with a pitch.
But there's something else on his mind: Justin Wrobleski. The Dodgers have a fresh-faced lefty in the rotation, and Wrobleski isn’t just holding his own; he’s shining. Roberts can’t help but see shades of Clayton Kershaw in him, and he’s letting people know it.
Wrobleski’s just 25, fresh out of Oklahoma State, but don’t let the age fool you. He’s pitched 36 innings as a starter with a 1.25 ERA, the best mark in the National League. People are starting to talk. Roberts definitely is. The Kershaw comparisons are already swirling, and they don’t sound that far-fetched if you watch Wrobleski work.
On Monday, he diced up the Mets by going right after hitters, pitch after pitch. Roberts has been around long enough to recognise the approach. “He’s got a great mentor in Clayton,” Roberts said, “and sometimes, it really feels like he channels Kershaw’s mentality. Attack guys, force them to put the ball in play.”
Just look at what he did to the Cardinals on Sunday. Six scoreless innings, only one walk, six hits – nothing fancy, just solid pitching. That’s two starts in a row; he’s thrown up six scoreless frames. Last year, Wrobleski mostly worked out of the bullpen. But with Blake Snell hurt and Emmet Sheehan shaky, Roberts gave him a shot, and Wrobleski ran with it. In 2025, he struck out 76 over 66 innings but had a 4.32 ERA. He got swings and misses back then, but in 2026, the punchouts dropped. Just 15 in 36 innings. Still, his control and poise jumped another level.
Roberts sees it up close. Sometimes he even jokes about the similarities. “He wears Skechers like Clayton does,” Roberts grinned. “He does his side work in his full jersey, just like Kershaw.”
Reporters asked Wrobleski about admiring a legend like Kershaw now that he’s part of the Dodgers mix. His answer’s honest: “Just watching him every day was something special for me,” Wrobleski said. “Not everyone gets to be around guys who are legends of the game.”
So yeah, it’s early. Comparisons can sound wild. But as long as Wrobleski keeps pitching this way, the talk isn’t stopping anytime soon.
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