Michael Jordan, fellow team owners head to federal court for hearing in antitrust fight vs. NASCAR

Retired NBA awesome Michael Jordan and his chap owners of 2 NASCAR teams headed to national tribunal Monday for a proceeding successful their antitrust conflict against nan banal car bid complete what they opportunity is an unfair business model

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Retired NBA awesome Michael Jordan and his chap owners of 2 NASCAR teams went to national tribunal Monday for a proceeding successful their antitrust fight against nan banal car bid complete what they opportunity is an unfair business model.

23XI Racing, which is owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 victor Denny Hamlin, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by edifice entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, sued NASCAR and president Jim France successful October aft months of tense negotiations complete NASCAR's charter system, which is fundamentally a franchise exemplary that includes gross sharing.

The 2 teams opportunity NASCAR gave each Cup Series teams a last-minute, take-it-or-leave-it connection successful September that some 23XI and Front Row refused to sign. The owners contend nan charter strategy limits title by unfairly binding teams to nan series, its tracks and its suppliers, and they called nan France family and NASCAR "monopolistic bullies.”

The conflict is playing retired arsenic NASCAR heads into its title weekend, pinch nan title-deciding title group for Sunday successful Phoenix pinch 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick among nan 4 drivers who tin win.

U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney past week denied an expedited find petition from 23XI and Front Row for NASCAR to nutrient documents anterior to Monday's preliminary injunction hearing.

“While nan projected find requests whitethorn thief plaintiffs show a likelihood of occurrence connected nan merits, they are not sufficiently narrowly tailored," Whitney wrote.

Jordan, Hamlin and Curtis Polk of 23XI were joined by Jenkins and Front Row President Jerry Freeze for nan hearing, which is important to really adjacent play will proceed for nan 2 teams.

23XI and Front Row tin still compete adjacent twelvemonth but arsenic unfastened teams. They reason to moreover compete nether NASCAR's unfastened squad agreement, location is simply a clause that would merchandise NASCAR from immoderate early litigation, truthful some teams want an injunction to prosecute their existent suit while they race.

The teams reason that NASCAR would not beryllium harmed by nan injunction because nan bid had planned to person 36 chartered teams and allowing them to compete arsenic chartered teams while pursuing nan suit was maintaining nan position quo.

NASCAR now says it plans to tally 32 chartered teams and 8 unfastened cars (instead of four) successful its 40-car section each week. 23XI and Front Row presently person 2 charters apiece that they did not sign, and some person deals pinch Stewart-Haas Racing to bargain 1 charter each.

Those deals person not closed and NASCAR has indicated it won't admit nan sales. NASCAR is alleging it is only honoring only nan 32 charter agreements that were signed successful September.

NASCAR contends nan 2 teams don’t meet nan requirements for an injunction because they tin still compete arsenic unfastened teams and that immoderate damages that they suffer if they prevail successful nan lawsuit tin beryllium covered monetarily.

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