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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win 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

The owner disclosed operational insights of his racing venture, saying he invested $40m of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said during testimony. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I felt I could challenge Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport required examination from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with independent franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and left the court to a media frenzy, with fans and media vying for a glimpse or a photo of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to overhaul a operating model Jordan contended is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are details from last September. She recounted a frantic and emotional period where the racing circuit told teams they must sign a charter agreement extension. This agreement consists of over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan said that his team and its ally decided their sole viable path was to refuse a signature that 112-page package and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Winning

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

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, sharing that he purchased another franchise last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her request for permanent charters, submitted in a formal letter to Nascar. She testified the timing of the signature deadline was problematic.

According to her, the team founder first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Please don’t force this on 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.”