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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom on Friday, stated that his competitive side and status as a newcomer motivated his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his racing venture, saying he put in $40m of his own funds into the Cup Series operation co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and driver Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan said during testimony. “I was a new person, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport required examination through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar granted each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other major leagues with independent franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar demanded teams renew their charters.

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

Leading the Legal Charge

23XI Racing is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan said is breaking the law to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and Heather Gibbs, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a hectic and tense period where the sanctioning body informed teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. This agreement spanned over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed spot in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally concluded their sole viable path was to refuse a signature that extensive document 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: Victory

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

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he said, sharing that he purchased another franchise last year for $28m despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, which she said a formal letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the contract signing demand was problematic.

According to her, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and persuade Nascar against forcing signatures, but Nascar’s leader declined the request.

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