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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and novelty within the sport motivated his push for 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Financial Stakes and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his racing venture, saying he invested $40m of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation launched with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said during testimony. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. From my perspective, the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided 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 set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and exited the courthouse to a media frenzy, with fans and media clamoring for a glimpse or a photo of the global icon.

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul 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 six hours where the sanctioning body told teams they had to sign a contract extension. This agreement consists of over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed spot in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports concluded their only feasible option was to decline to sign that 112-page package and litigate the matter. All other teams signed the agreement.

The team owners approached Nascar about possible changes 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 financially unsustainable model was driven by the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me adding a third car improved our chances to win,” he testified, sharing that he bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28m amid the legal dispute. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

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

She said, Joe Gibbs first tried to call and persuade Nascar against forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s leadership. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If there are 30, that’s the number.”