TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — Michael Jordan arrived at Talladega Superspeedway about 30 minutes before the start of the playoff race and went straight to Bubba Wallace’s pit box for a quick visit with his guys.
The NBA great eventually walked down pit road to Tyler Reddick’s booth, where he sat on the wall and waited for Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins. The two NASCAR team owners refused to sign NASCAR’s charter contract and filed a federal lawsuit last week. antitrust lawsuit against stock car series.
Sunday’s brief exchange was intended as a show of solidarity from the only two teams that chose not to accept NASCAR’s terms for its new revenue-sharing model. 23XI Racing and Front Row want a jury to decide whether NASCAR is indeed a “monopolistic tyrant” as the lawsuit claims.
Jordan said before the race that the lawsuit was on behalf of all Cup Series teams; 13 organizations signed the charter agreement, with 23XI and Front Row being the only holdouts. Many team owners said they signed on time and under threat of having the entire charter system revoked.
“I believe everyone should have the opportunity to succeed in any endeavor and my voice says that hasn’t happened” Jordan told Fox Sports.
He said he had no plans to speak with NASCAR Chairman Jim France, who is named in the suit, while he was at Talladega this weekend.
The legal battle has become the biggest talking point in NASCAR in the midst of its playoffs as the entire industry waits to see what happens next. NASCAR declined to comment and France declined to discuss it at Talladega. The response from NASCAR’s court could come as soon as this week, before Sunday’s playoff race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Michael McDowell, who won the pole for Sunday’s race for Front Row, defended Jenkins’ decision to fight NASCAR. McDowell decided a few months ago that he was leaving the team he has driven for since 2018 at the end of the season, but he supports what Jenkins and 23XI are trying to accomplish.
“Bob Jenkins is so dedicated to this sport,” McDowell said. “He spent millions and millions and millions and millions and millions of his own dollars to play this sport and be competitive. Nobody does that unless they’re crazy or super passionate.
“He is passionate about our racing team and being competitive. It’s been a steady progression and I feel like we’re at a point now where we’re contenders,” McDowell continued. “No one spends what we spend and does what we do. No one. And if they have to spend their own money, there’s a problem.”
Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing with Jordan and Curtis Polk, also defended taking the fight to court.
“Michael Jordan has said in his statements that he loves NASCAR,” Hamlin said. “We’ve obviously invested heavily in NASCAR and reinvested what I got out of the sport as a driver as an owner. We certainly love the sport, but we’d just like to see some changes as well.”
When asked if he thought NASCAR valued what Hamlin – who, as a Charlotte Hornets season ticket holder, developed a relationship with Jordan and later persuaded Jordan to start a NASCAR team with him – and 23XI did for the sport, Hamlin took a long break.
“Probably not,” he finally replied.
Jordan is the highest-profile team owner in NASCAR and one of only two blacks. 23XI also has one of the most diverse teams in the garage, from driver Wallace to crew members and non-competition employees.
The lawsuit raised another concern around the garage: Team owner Richard Childress said he wasn’t sure the deal he signed was on the same terms as, say, received by Hendrick Motorsports – what if 23XI and Front Row finally reach an agreement with NASCAR. who have already signed will be guaranteed the same conditions?
“I don’t know what’s going to happen because it’s just unprecedented in our sport,” said Justin Marks, owner of Trackhouse Racing. “There’s no historical precedent. I think in other cases like this, in other sports, you have collective bargaining unions. So it’s just a very, very different framework. I think we have a blank slate and we can land anywhere I think it doesn’t matter who comes out of it, I have to believe it should affect everyone the same.
___
AP Auto Racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
