CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A judge denied two NASCAR Cup Series teams’ request for an injunction to keep their chartered rights until their trial against NASCAR.
Photo courtesy of NASCAR Media/Getty Images
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports requested the injunction to ensure they didn’t lose their rights to six charters for good before a trial in December.
Judge Kenneth Bell ruled Wednesday it was unnecessary, citing court records showing NASCAR stated they will keep at least six charters on hand until a decision is made at trial.
“So long as the disputed Charters are available for the Court to potentially use as part of the final relief granted to Plaintiffs if they are successful at trial, then Plaintiffs are not irreparably harmed and no preliminary injunction is necessary or, indeed, permitted,” the judge wrote.
The judge acknowledged rule change that will lock the teams into every race despite having to race their cars as open entries. He also acknowledged the teams’ loss of revenue teams but stated it is a risk of the lawsuit like this.
With the judge’s decision, the dispute over the charters is barreling toward a trial. The trial is set to start Dec. 1.
Read the full ruling here:
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com