NASCAR sues Michael Jordan’s racing team for accusing an “illegal cartel”

Michael JordanNASCAR’s racing team 23XI Racing is reportedly suspected of trying to plan to receive preferential treatment.

In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, March 4, and obtained sportsthe Jordanian team and his long-term business partners, Curtis PolkIt is reportedly accused of acting like an “illegal cartel”.

The lawsuit also calls racing teams front row motorsports part of the alleged plan.

NASCAR claims that the two teams “agree to a plan that requires NASCAR to accept their eligible terms, including group boycotts that are threatening to boycott by participating in media campaigns, interfering with NASCAR’s broadcast agreement negotiations, threatening to boycott NASCAR incidents and participating in the NASCAR team owner committee.”

The lawsuit says Polk is the driving force behind the effort.

Polk allegedly represents “a team that negotiates, coordinates its actions, and threatens to consider leaving the plot, intervening and negatively affecting NASCAR’s attempt to renew its media rights agreement.”

The document is a rebuttal of the lawsuit filed in October 2024 Bob Jenkinshas front row racing. In addition to his connection to the racing world, Jenkins also has a close connection with Yum! Brand Family Restaurant Family, with hundreds of KFC, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s and A&W locations.

Jenkins’ lawsuit reportedly accused NASCAR and the company’s CEO Jim Franceuse “anti-competitive and exclusive practices” to “enrich yourself at the expense of senior stock racing teams”.

The legal struggles all revolve around the NASCAR’s charter system, according to sportsis “a franchise version of the sport that ensures certain financial assurances for the holder in addition to starting positions in all 36 games in NASCAR’s Premier Cup series.”

Every sports“NASCAR has asked the court to compensate triple damages, and if these groups continue litigation aimed at making the Charter Agreement illegal under antitrust laws, the guaranteed starting positions for 23XI and front-row racing cars will be cancelled.”

In a statement US Weekly go through Jeffrey Kesslerattorneys for the front row motorsports, the lawsuit is “a valuable distraction and desperately trying to take the attention away from its own illegal, monopoly actions.”

“NASCAR agrees with the common negotiations they attack now,” the statement continued. “When these joint negotiations failed, they imposed the charter clauses using individual negotiations, and most teams felt they had no choice but to accept. My client’s lawsuit has been about turning NASCAR into a more competitive and equitable sport to bring the interests of drivers, fans, sponsors and teams because of their love for the sport. When an antitrust claim is claimed, every major sport transitions to competition, and this moment is NASCAR.”

Kessler asserted that the opposition “has changed nothing” and concluded: “We are confident in the strength of the case and look forward to introducing it at the trial.”