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The basketball icon, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his drive to win and status as a newcomer motivated his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed operational insights of his racing venture, revealing he put in $40m of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said in the Charlotte courtroom. “I was a new person, 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: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with separately owned franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. This deal was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a glimpse or a photo of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to change a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a hectic and tense six hours where the racing circuit informed teams they had to sign a contract extension. The document consists of 112 pages detailing team compensation and a guaranteed entry in every race.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports decided their only feasible option was to refuse a signature that 112-page package and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

The team owners reached out to Nascar about potential amendments or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Bottom Line: Winning

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me getting a third driver improved our chances to win,” he testified, noting that he purchased another franchise late in 2024 for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Heather Gibbs’ Testimony

Heather Gibbs detailed her request for permanent charters, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She said the timing of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

According to her, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and persuade Nascar against forcing signatures, but CEO Jim France declined the request.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Heather Gibbs said was the message to Nascar’s executives. The response was, “Whether I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, I have 30.”