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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his drive to win and novelty within the sport emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed operational insights of his racing venture, saying he put in $40 million of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation launched with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny 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 in its entirety. From my perspective, the sport required examination through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with independent franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with fans and media vying for a view or a photo of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from September 2024. Gibbs described a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body told teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of 112 pages outlining pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally decided their only feasible option was to decline to sign that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

The team owners reached out to Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Bottom Line: Victory

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, sharing that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a written letter to Nascar. She testified the timing of the signature deadline was problematic.

She said, the team founder 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 was the message to Nascar’s leadership. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, I have 30.”