Veteran driver and team co-owner Denny Hamlin declared NASCAR\u2019s charter proposal is akin to a death certificate in explosive comments on the second day of the racing league\u2019s antitrust trial Tuesday in Charlotte.<\/p>\n
Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner who co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan, returned to the stand after being called as the first witness when the hearing opened Monday.<\/p>\n
23XI and another team, Front Row Motorsports, have maintained that NASCAR uses anti-competitive strategies to bully racing teams into compliance.<\/p>\n
Front Row owner Bob Jenkins and 23XI declined to sign on for renewal of the charters this year, while the other 13 chartered Cup teams opted in. The charter system was implemented in 2016 by NASCAR, which granted the request of several Cup Series teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t sign because I knew this was my death certificate for the future,\u201d Hamlin said.<\/p>\n
Later asked if he felt he made the right decision, Hamlin answered, \u201cI think it was the only decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamlin concluded direct examination and engaged in cross-examination from NASCAR\u2019s outside counsel Lawrence E. Buterman, who tried to draw a comparison to a contract that driver Riley Herbst signed with 23XI that wouldn\u2019t allow him to drive for other teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe aren\u2019t a monopoly. You are,\u201d Hamlin said, one of several times he used the phrase. \u201cI believe it\u2019s different when you have options and drivers have options of what teams they can race for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamlin also maintained that he sounds more positive about NASCAR as a league when making podcast appearances because he could face retribution otherwise.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can take all my things out of context and paint a picture that everything is fine,\u201d Hamlin said. \u201cThe reality is, (being) negative affects me in (technical inspection), getting called to the hauler, NASCAR not liking what I said.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan was present in the courtroom and has yet to testify. The trial is expected to last two weeks.<\/p>\n
\u2013Field Level Media<\/p>\n
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