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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, as he cordially introduced himself in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his competitive side and novelty within the sport emboldened his effort with 23XI Racing to “challenge” Nascar over alleged violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, saying he invested $40m of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation co-founded with business partner Curtis Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“Someone had to step forward,” Jordan said during testimony. “As a newcomer, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar as a whole. I felt as far as the sport it needed to be looked at through a new lens.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Renewal Demands

At issue is the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was due to end in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for about sixty minutes and exited the courthouse to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a glimpse or a photo of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

23XI Racing is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to overhaul a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

At issue for Jordan and Heather Gibbs, who preceded Jordan, are details from last September. She recounted a frantic and emotional six hours where the sanctioning body told teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages detailing team compensation and a guaranteed entry in every race.

Choosing Litigation

Jordan explained that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports concluded their only feasible option was to decline to sign that 112-page package and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

The team owners approached Nascar about potential amendments or extension options. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

But in the end, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me adding a third car boosted our odds of winning,” he testified, 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, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the signature deadline didn’t sit well.

According to her, the team founder first tried to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but CEO Jim France declined the request.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Heather Gibbs said was the message to Nascar’s executives. The response was, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If there are 30, that’s the number.”