NASCAR’s Long Legal Nightmare Is Over As Antitrust Case Reaches Settlement

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 1: The exterior of the Charles R.

Jonas Federal Building on December 1, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jury selection and opening statements are set to begin in an antitrust lawsuit filed by Jordan's 23XI Racing team against NASCAR. (Photo by Grant Baldwin/Getty Images)Getty ImagesIt took years of negotiations, threats, grandstanding, and more dirty laundry than a college kid brings home at Thanksgiving, but the long legal antitrust nightmare pitting NASCAR against two of its own teams has finally reached its end. What started as a dispute over economics and leverage devolved into a family squabble bigger than anything ever seen around a holiday dinner table. After eight days of courthouse theater, on Thursday the two sides emerged with a truce. And not just any truce, but one that ends the issue that launched this fight in the first place: NASCAR’s charters will now become permanent. In legal language, NASCAR will issue an amendment adding a form of “evergreen” charters, essentially putting to rest the question of whether teams could count on long-term equity in the sport.The announcement came only after one last dramatic scene in the courtroom. Thursday morning, Judge Kenneth Bell sent the jury out as attorneys from both camps clustered in an impromptu huddle. Moments later, Jeffrey Kessler, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, told the judge that both sides had “positively settled this matter.” The jury was brought back in, thanked for their time, and dismissed.And then, in a moment no one who has followed this saga could have predicted two years ago, the opposing parties, NBA legend and 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan, and NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France, stood together outside in the Carolina sunshine as Kessler delivered the news to the world. A fight some had framed as existential, a clash over the future shape and soul of stock-car racing, was suddenly over.The official joint statement from NASCAR, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports called the deal a “mutually agreed-upon resolution that delivers long-term stability and creates the conditions for meaningful growth for all teams in a more competitive environment.” It emphasized a “shared commitment to maintaining a fair and equitable framework for long-term participation” in the Cup Series and reaffirmed a unified focus on “advancing stock car racing” and delivering fan-focused competition.MORE FOR YOUThe financial details remain sealed, naturally, but the impact is clear. Permanent charters give teams something they’ve been chasing for years: predictable value. Something they can build on, invest around, and, perhaps most importantly, count on.For Michael Jordan, the case was never just about dollars and decimals.“From the beginning, this lawsuit was about progress,” he said. “It was about making sure our sport evolves in a way that supports everyone: teams, drivers, partners, employees, and fans. With a foundation to build equity and invest in the future and a stronger voice in the decisions ahead, we now have the chance to grow together and make the sport even better for generations to come. I’m excited to watch our teams get back on the track and compete hard in 2026.”Denny Hamlin, his 23XI co-owner, echoed that sentiment.“I’ve cared deeply about the sport of NASCAR my entire life. Racing is all I’ve ever known, and this sport shaped who I am. That’s why we were willing to shoulder the challenges that came with taking this stand… Teams, drivers, and partners will now have the stability and opportunity they deserve… I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, and now it is time to move forward together and build the stronger future this sport deserves.”ForbesNASCAR's Charter War Heats Up As 23XI, Front Row File LawsuitBy Greg EngleForbesNASCAR’s Defense To 23XI, Front Row Lawsuit Revealed In Court FilingBy Greg EngleForbesNASCAR’s Charter Drama Shifts Gears With Court RulingBy Greg EngleForbesNASCAR Countersues 23XI And Front Row As Charter War EscalatesBy Greg EngleForbesNASCAR Teams 23XI And Front Row Must Qualify On Speed, For NowBy Greg EngleForbesNASCAR Charter Documents Reveal How Much Teams Actually Get Paid Per RaceBy Greg EngleForbesNASCAR Charter Documents Reveal How Much Teams Actually Get Paid Per RaceBy Greg EngleForbesNASCAR’s Future Direction At Stake As Anti-Trust Trial Begins MondayBy Bruce MartinForbesJudge Slams Both Sides In Opening Day Of NASCAR Anti-Trust TrialBy Bruce MartinForbesNASCAR Trial Day 2 Includes Fiery Testimony From 23XI’s Denny HamlinBy Bruce MartinForbesNASCAR Trial Day 3: Front Row Motorsports Owner Bob Jenkins TestifiesBy Bruce MartinForbesNASCAR Trial Day 4: NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell TestifiesBy Bruce MartinForbesMichael Jordan Takes The Stand And Testifies In Day 5 Of NASCAR TrialBy Bruce MartinForbesFrustration Increases As Second Week Of NASCAR Trial Off To Slow StartBy Bruce MartinForbesNASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps’ Revealing Testimony In NASCAR TrialBy Bruce MartinForbesNASCAR Trial Intensifies As Jim France And Richard Childress TestifyBy Bruce MartinForbesPlaintiffs Wrap Up Testimony In NASCAR Trial As The Defense Takes OverBy Bruce MartinFront Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins—one of the longest-tenured independents in the garage—saw the outcome as overdue validation.“After more than 20 years in this sport, today gives me real confidence in where we’re headed… With this change, we can finally build long-term value and have a real voice in NASCAR’s future.”From the business side of 23XI, Curtis Polk pointed to the economic architecture that underpinned the lawsuit.“My goal… was to help create an economic model that would create a more sustainable model for teams and create a more equitable and transparent system within NASCAR. This settlement achieves significant progress toward the Four Pillars.”And from NASCAR’s side of the table, Jim France framed the deal as both an evolution and a continuation.“This outcome gives all parties the flexibility and confidence to continue delivering unforgettable racing moments for our fans… Today’s agreement reaffirms our commitment to preserving and enhancing [charter] value, ensuring our fans continue to enjoy the very best of stock car racing for generations to come.”What had been portrayed in some corners as a referendum on NASCAR’s long-term direction now recedes into the background, a footnote, albeit an expensive and deeply public one. For all the tension and spectacle, both sides end up standing on the same side of the fence again. The charter system, once the source of existential anxiety, now becomes a foundational piece of the sport’s next era.And for fans, the ones who endured months of headlines about depositions, filings, and antitrust statutes rather than horsepower, the takeaway is simple: the racing goes on. The Daytona 500 is still set for February 2026. The manufacturers will still squabble.

The teams will still argue. The drivers will still find ways to annoy each other.But the sport now has a clearer long-term structure, one born out of conflict, forged under fluorescent courthouse lights, and sealed in that brief moment outside the courthouse when two very different men, Jordan and France, stood shoulder to shoulder in agreement.So, after years of tension, the future of NASCAR no longer hangs over a courtroom. Instead, it’s waiting where it always should be: out on the track.