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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom 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.

Financial Stakes and a Will to Win

Jordan shared financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, saying he put in $40m of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated during testimony. “As a newcomer, I wasn’t afraid. I felt I could challenge Nascar as a whole. From my perspective, the sport required examination from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Charter Agreements and Renewal Demands

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a franchise. This system mirrors other major leagues with independent franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and left the court to a media frenzy, with fans and media clamoring for a glimpse or a photo of the global icon.

Leading the Legal Charge

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a operating model Jordan said is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are events from September 2024. She recounted a hectic and tense period where the racing circuit informed teams they had to sign a contract extension. The document spanned 112 pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded 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.

The team owners approached Nascar about potential amendments or extension options. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

But in the end, the pushback against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, sharing that he bought a third charter last year for $28m despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

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

She said, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s leadership. She said France replied, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, I have 30.”