A federal judge has declined to grant two NASCAR teams, including one co-owned by Michael Jordan, a preliminary injunction in their ongoing antitrust case against the racing organization.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, Judge Kenneth Bell of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina ruled that 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports would not receive temporary recognition as chartered teams for the remainder of the 2025 season.\u00a0According to a statement<\/a>\u00a0in court documents, NASCAR assured the judge last week that it would not sell or transfer the six disputed charters until the trial concludes in December, making an injunction unnecessary.<\/p>\n Bell emphasized that he does not intend to weigh in on the chances of either side winning before trial. \u201cThe Court believes that it is best not to provide its forecast of the Plaintiffs\u2019 likelihood of success on the merits, and thereby potentially bias the jury pool,\u201d he wrote. He also warned of the wider uncertainty surrounding the sport\u2019s future if the dispute is not resolved before the 2026 season, noting the impact it could have on teams, sponsors, and fans.<\/p>\n NASCAR responded positively to the ruling. Per a statement from the organization, the decision \u201cbrings much-needed clarity to the remainder of the 2025 NASCAR season.\u201d The governing body also stressed its longstanding commitment to defending the integrity of the sport and promised fans that the lawsuit would not detract from the racing product on track.<\/p>\n