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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 competition laws.

Financial Stakes and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his racing venture, saying he invested $40m of his own funds into the Cup Series operation 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 had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

Central Issue: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a “charter”. The concept is similar to other professional sports with separately owned franchises, like the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters clamoring 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 breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

At issue for Jordan and Heather Gibbs, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a frantic and emotional period where the racing circuit informed teams they must sign a contract extension. The document spanned 112 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. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin approached Nascar about possible changes or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, Jordan said.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

Ultimately, the pushback against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Success.

“Denny convinced me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, sharing that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28 million amid the legal dispute. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She testified the timing of the contract signing demand was problematic.

According to her, the team founder first tried to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader refused the appeal.

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