Chase Elliott’s SRX participation caused a stir among NASCAR chiefs (Image: Getty)
NASCAR Chairman Steve O’Donnell admitted during his antitrust lawsuit with Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports that the sanctioning body had concerns about Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) after seeing Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott pilot the series’ stylized No. 9. The lawsuit involving NBA legend Jordan’s 23XI and FRM against NASCAR is in its second week, having started Dec. 1 in a North Carolina court.
The two Cup Series teams launched an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR in October 2024, accusing the sanctioning body of monopolistic practices surrounding its charter agreement, which they refused to sign. The legal battle has seen several twists and turns since it began, including a preliminary injunction granted to 23XI and FRM late last year to race as licensed teams in the 2025 season, but that decision was overturned. overturned by appeal in June this year.
The appeal decision forced the 23XI and the FRM to organize the remainder of 2025. NASCAR season as “open” teams, which did not guarantee them weekly participation in the Cup Series on certain race weekends where more teams had signed up for “open” participation. Today, the case is going to trial, and it has seen figures like Denny Hamlin and Heather Gibbs deliver moving testimonies. The judge presiding over the case, Kenneth Bell, has grown increasingly frustrated with the opening statements and the slow pace of the trial.
The judge ruled that NASCAR had monopoly power over stock car racing, eliminating the need for teams to prove it at trial; However, the process is still ongoing and the case will be decided by a six-person jury. Last Thursday, SRX, founded by Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham, a startup stock car racing circuit that debuted in June 2021, was a hot topic.
Ahead of the antitrust lawsuit, newly surfaced text messages revealed NASCAR executives expressing frustration with drivers and team owners competing in the series. A redacted participant in the message chain remarked, “Oh great, another owner running an SRX,” prompting responses from O’Donnell and NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps. In the exchange, O’Donnell responded by saying: “It’s NASCAR. Plain and simple. Enough. We need a legal department to take a chance.”
NASCAR star Chase Elliott competes in SRX in 2022 (Image: Getty)
“These guys are just stupid. You have to take a knife to this bunch of trash,” Phelps responded. Before SRX closed, a wide range of NASCAR talent competed in the series, with stars like Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and even 23XI co-owner Hamlin among the many participants. Hendrick star Elliott driving the series’ stylized No. 9 also caused a stir.
“I thought it was becoming more and more like NASCAR,” O’Donnell said. NASCAR went so far as to block SRX from holding an event at a Speedway Motorsports venue, citing its exclusivity provision.
O’Donnell later explained the decision, saying it came from the fact that “we were in a major negotiation” over new media rights and “we wanted to keep as much revenue as possible for the teams.”
Potential trial results
If the jury decides in favor of 23XI and FRM, it will determine the financial damage, capped at the actual losses suffered by the parties. According to the law, the judge could then triple this amount.
The judge also holds the power to impose antitrust measures, potentially including actions such as forcing the sale of tracks, modifying or eliminating charters, abandoning the Next Gen automotive program or removing exclusivity clauses.
Let’s assume that the jurors on the side of NASCAR, 23XI and FRM would likely operate as “open” teams in 2026. While this scenario could still happen even if the teams win, it would be less likely. Either way, both teams are at significant risk of going out of business within a year, depending on the outcome of the appeals.
