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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and novelty within the sport motivated his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he put in $40 million of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and driver Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said during testimony. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I felt I could challenge Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with independent franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar demanded teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and left the court to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters vying for a view or a picture of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a business model Jordan said is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are events from last September. She recounted a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they must sign a contract extension. The document consists of 112 pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded their only feasible option was to refuse a signature that 112-page package and take the issue to court. All other teams signed the agreement.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

Ultimately, the resistance 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 improved our chances to win,” he said, sharing that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Heather Gibbs detailed her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a written letter to Nascar. She said the pressure 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 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, “Whether I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, I have 30.”