Michael Jordan-NASCAR lawsuit, explained: Why Bulls legend took legal action in support of his 23XI racing team

Michael Jordan has certainly set himself up for success after the NBA.

His various escapades post-retirement include a period of ownership over the Charlotte Hornets, his continued connection to Nike’s Jordan Brand and his role as a special advisor and investor in DraftKings, among other ventures.

One of his most lucrative investments has been founding NASCAR’s 23XI Racing with three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. The team debuted in 2021 with Bubba Wallace driving the No. 23 Toyota in its very first race. Kurt Busch joined the organization in 2022 when 23XI expanded to two cars.

In 2024, Wallace remains with the team and Tyler Reddick is behind the wheel of what was Busch’s No. 45. 23XI has been at the center of the NASCAR universe since Reddick became the 2024 regular-season champion after a shocking top-10 finish in the Cup Series’ final regular season race, all while battling illness. Of course, his performance drew comparisons to Jordan’s famed “flu game.”

Despite the team’s success, Jordan’s racing team has a bone to pick with NASCAR and is taking legal action as a result. Here’s everything you need to know about the lawsuit.

One of his most lucrative investments has been founding NASCAR’s 23XI Racing with three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. The team debuted in 2021 with Bubba Wallace driving the No. 23 Toyota in its very first race. Kurt Busch joined the organization in 2022 when 23XI expanded to two cars.

In 2024, Wallace remains with the team and Tyler Reddick is behind the wheel of what was Busch’s No. 45. 23XI has been at the center of the NASCAR universe since Reddick became the 2024 regular-season champion after a shocking top-10 finish in the Cup Series’ final regular season race, all while battling illness. Of course, his performance drew comparisons to Jordan’s famed “flu game.”

Despite the team’s success, Jordan’s racing team has a bone to pick with NASCAR and is taking legal action as a result. Here’s everything you need to know about the lawsuit.

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Michael Jordan-NASCAR lawsuit, explained

The lawsuit — filed Wednesday by 23XI Racing and another team, Front Row Motorsports — centers around alleged anti-competitive antitrust violations committed by NASCAR CEO Jim France and the France family. Jordan’s team and Front Row Motor Sports released a statement accusing both the organization and its overseer of:

• Buying a majority of the premier racetracks that are exclusive to NASCAR races;
• Imposing exclusivity deals on NASCAR-sanctioned racetracks;
• Acquiring Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), the only notable stock car racing series competitor;
• Preventing teams from participating in any other stock car races, while also retaining ownership over Next Gen parts and cars; and
• Forcing teams to buy their parts from single-source suppliers chosen by NASCAR.

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports were the only Cup Series teams not to sign a new charter agreement with NASCAR ahead of the September deadline. The deal, which guarantees spots in Cup Series races for the signees, starts in 2025 and runs through 2031.