Miami (USA), December 11 (EFE). – Legendary Michael Jordan and American motorsports organization NASCAR agreed to end the confrontation in court after the former Chicago Bulls basketball player denounced the organization for excessive monopoly power.
“I am pleased to say that the parties have resolved this matter positively and in a manner that will benefit the industry going forward,” plaintiffs’ attorney Jeffrey Kessler said in statements reported by The Athletic on Thursday.
Jordan and his partner, driver Denny Hamlin, had sued NASCAR in October 2024 as co-owners of the 23XI Racing team along with another team, Front Row Motorsports, alleging that the organization forced participants to accept charter or charter contracts – which guarantee participation and a share of income in NASCAR’s main series – with very restrictive conditions.
According to the lawsuit, these practices violate U.S. antitrust law by restricting competition through exclusivity clauses, abusive income controls and race access.
The trial began last week and threatened to transform the popular American racing series if the judge ruled in favor of the teams.
The agreement calls for 23XI and Front Row to recover their three charters lost during the litigation. Additionally, all teams will receive a permanent charter and additional income benefits, which The Athletic says meets one of the main goals of the lawsuit.
“I’ve said it from day one: the only way this sport can grow is to find synergies between both entities, and I believe we’ve done that,” Jordan said outside the courthouse.
23XI and Front Row were the only two teams that refused to sign the new charter contracts, which were renegotiated in 2024, claiming that NASCAR’s revenue share model was unfair to those who often operate at a loss.
As Hamlin noted in his statement on day two, it costs $20 million to put a single car on the track in a 38-race season, not including overhead costs like driver salaries and business operations.
Had the trial continued and the teams prevailed, the judge suggested, it could have forced NASCAR to sell its tracks or forced the organization’s president, Jim France, to relinquish control of the sport.
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