CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Denny Hamlin is set to testify Tuesday in the NASCAR antitrust trial against Hamlin’s team and Front Row Motorsports.

Hamlin took the stand Monday after jury selection and opening arguments wrapped up. He spoke multiple times about how teams have to compete with NASCAR for sponsorship and how sponsorship has been a make-or-break factor for teams, not only for his 23XI Racing team to build their new Airspeed shop but also for teams like Germain Racing that folded after losing sponsorship.

Hamlin used Germain as a jumping off point for his claim that “only one side is going out of business,” stating 11 of the original 19 charter teams are now out of business.

Hamlin testified 23XI spends $8 million a year for support from Joe Gibbs Racing that does the work of 100-150 people he’d have to hire otherwise. On controlling costs, he stated NASCAR’s decisions mean that fluctuates throughout the season and can even spike.

Testimony also became personal. To get know Hamlin, his attorneys asked about his season. Hamlin half-jokingly pleaded the Fifth before briefly elaborating on how the season ended.

“I was leading the championship with three laps to go. A caution came out. I lost,” Hamlin reportedly said.

When asked about what got him into NASCAR, Hamlin credited his dad but teared up, saying he’s “in bad health.”

Hamlin is among a “who’s who” in NASCAR on the witness list for this trial.

NASCAR antitrust trial witness lists

NASCAR and the two teams both included Hamlin, NASCAR’s Jim France, Brian Herbst, Lesa France Kennedy, Steve O’Donnell, Steve Phelps and Scott Prime on their witness lists. Their lists also both have Front Row owner Bob Jenkins, 23XI’s Michael Jordan and Curtis Polk and the Race Team Alliance’s John Marshall.

The teams were unique in naming Richard Childress, Tim Frost, Heather Gibbs, Steve Newmark and Anthony Smith, as well as economics professors Daniel Rascher and Edward Snyder.

NASCAR also included professors Kevin Murphy and Mark Zmijewski. Also unique to their list are:

NASCAR’s Tim Clark, Ben Kennedy and John Probst; ARCA’s Ron Drager, Front Row’s Jerry Freeze; owners Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske; RTA’s Rob Kauffman; 23XI’s Steve Lauletta, Legacy Motor Club’s Cal Wells, Gene Mason, Greg Motto, Ed Desser (President of Desser Sports Media) and Paul Meyer (CPA).

Both sides can cross-examine each other’s witnesses or call them to the stand as necessary for rebuttal.

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