NASCAR\u2019s ongoing lawsuit against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports has unearthed some deplorable communications from top executives over the last couple of years, which have thrown the series into disarray.<\/p>\n
Initially filed in October 2024, after both 23XI and FRM refused to sign the new charter agreement, the antitrust lawsuit takes aim at the agreement while alleging \u201cmonopolistic\u201d behavior<\/a> on NASCAR<\/a>\u2019s part.<\/p>\n Set to go to trial on December 1 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and with 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan set to be in attendance<\/a> throughout, the pre-trial deposition has unearthed some fascinating insight into both sides of late, from 23XI\u2019s finances<\/a> and Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin\u2019s thoughts on NASCAR brass<\/a>, to the true thoughts of the organization\u2019s president Steve O\u2019Donnell<\/a> and commissioner Steve Phelps.<\/p>\n The latter has arguably come out worst from it all, after messages from 2023 in which he brazenly insulted Hall of Famer Richard Childress came to light<\/a>, calling him \u201can idiot\u201d and \u201ca stupid redneck.\u201d This has, unsurprisingly, prompted Childress to threaten legal action of his own<\/a>.<\/p>\n All the while, NASCAR fans and ex-drivers have been watching on from afar, with some suggesting these clashes with brass are nothing new and a sign of rough times ahead.<\/p>\n Sign up to our NASCAR newsletter here.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThis has been going on in the sport I love. I\u2019m just disappointed all the way around,\u201d 40-time Cup Series race winner Mark Martin said<\/a> on social media. \u201cThere were plenty of problems before Charters and the RTA but I\u2019m not sure how you ever fix all this now.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, Martin later wrote<\/a>, \u201cJust so disappointing. We should be giving people who love Motorsports more of what they love and maybe the sport would grow and bring in more fans of all ages.\u201d<\/p>\n In later comments, Martin suggested the charter system as a whole, which was brought into effect in 2016, granting 36 cars guaranteed entry into every event, has ultimately had a detrimental effect on the sport, as the cost of transferring charters continues to skyrocket. \u201c[It grants] Less opportunity in my opinion. If you don\u2019t have 40 Million you can\u2019t get in. Before all you had to do is get a car,\u201d he wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n Longtime O\u2019Reilly\u2019s Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series driver Tommy Joe Martins was also unsurprised by the pre-trial messages, posting<\/a>, \u201cEvery text from everyone involved just confirms everything I\u2019ve felt for 10+ years. It\u2019s not a disappointment to see it all, it\u2019s a relief. I wasn\u2019t just dreaming it up. It was actually happening.\u201d<\/p>\n