According to a U.S. District Court judge, 23XI Racing, owned by Michael Jordan, must publicly request from the court that NASCAR authorize its charter acquisition from Stewart-Haas Racing, independent of Front Row Motorsports. This comes after both teams were granted an injunction that ensures their continued participation in the sport while the pending antitrust case against NASCAR is being resolved.
In order to secure their guaranteed positions on the grid, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell previously decided that NASCAR must permit 23XI and Front Row to use their two current vehicles as chartered teams in 2025. In order to give each team a third car, he also directed NASCAR to authorize the sale of Stewart-Haas Racing [SHR] charters to the two teams.
In response, NASCAR submitted an urgent move to prevent the teams from finalizing their charter acquisitions until the appeal of the injunction decision was considered. The two charter slots for the SHR, which NASCAR initially appeared prepared to transfer before abruptly discontinuing after the lawsuit was filed, are at the heart of the dispute.
Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe, and Ryan Preece all made Cup Series appearances before SHR shut down operations after the previous season. Briscoe will race for Joe Gibbs Racing, Gragson will transfer to Front Row, Berry will join Wood Brothers Racing, and Preece will drive RFK Racing’s No. 60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. The teams contended that this reversal was an obvious instance of anticompetitive behavior.
By maintaining the injunction, Bell modified the original decision and allowed Front Row to proceed with its purchase of the SHR charter. However, he used procedural grounds to exclude 23XI’s charter from the decision. The judge allowed 23XI to address the matter by filing a second motion. “We welcome today’s decision by Judge Bell to deny NASCAR’s motion to stay, which will allow 23XI and Front Row Motorsports to compete as chartered teams in the 2025 season and enable Front Row Motorsports to complete their purchase of a third charter from Stewart-Haas Racing,” stated 23XI in a statement following the initial ruling.
“Today’s ruling safeguards my clients’ drivers, race teams, sponsors, and the spectator experience while furthering their case against NASCAR and their monopolistic actions. In the upcoming year, we will keep fighting for a more equitable and competitive sport for all participants because we are confident in the strength of our case.” Riley Herbst, a former Xfinity Series driver for Stewart–Haas Racing, joined 23XI in November, bringing the number of vehicles on the lineup to three. He will drive the No. 35 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE in 2025, joining longtime teammates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace.
“It’s an honor to join 23XI and Toyota for the opportunity to race in the Cup Series each week,” Herbst added. “Racing full-time in the Cup Series has been my goal since I started in NASCAR and I’m excited to start my Cup career with such an accomplished and driven team. What 23XI has accomplished in a short time is impressive and I look forward to building on their success as the organization grows.”
