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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 effort with 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his racing venture, saying he invested $40 million of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said during testimony. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport required examination through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and left the court to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a glimpse or a picture of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan said is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and Heather Gibbs, who preceded Jordan, are details from last September. Gibbs described a frantic and emotional six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a contract extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages detailing team compensation and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports decided their sole viable path was to decline to sign that extensive document and take the issue to court. All other teams agreed to the terms.

The team owners approached Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was mostly about the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, noting that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She testified the pressure of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

According to her, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

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