{"id":340871,"date":"2025-12-12T17:29:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T17:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/340871\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T17:29:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T17:29:07","slug":"nascar-settlement-allows-body-teams-to-turn-focus-to-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/340871\/","title":{"rendered":"NASCAR settlement allows body, teams to turn focus to 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The settlement that ended the antitrust lawsuit<\/a> between NASCAR and teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports \u201cabsolutely\u201d was \u201cgood for all sides,\u201d according to Scott Fowler of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. 23XI owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin can \u201ccount this one as a big win, because the race teams finally got the permanent charters they sought.\u201d NASCAR \u201cgot to avoid a large-scale decimation. In exchange for a lighter checkbook, NASCAR got to largely preserve its status quo.\u201d And it got to \u201cdodge the question\u201d of whether it is an \u201cunlawful monopoly.\u201d NASCAR also got to keep Jordan in the sport. If Jordan had lost, he and his race team \u201calmost surely would have been out.\u201d His fame is \u201cno small thing to a sport that needs all the eyeballs it can get\u201d (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12\/12<\/a>). NBCSPORTS.com\u2019s Dustin Long wrote, \u201cConsider this the sport\u2019s gift to fans two weeks ahead of Christmas.\u201d It \u201ctook someone like Jordan to help lead the sport to this path.\u201d Jordan did not enter NASCAR \u201cmerely as a businessman with only passing interest in the sport.\u201d He has been a \u201clong-time fan, a passion handed down from his father.\u201d The fans are \u201cone winner for certain\u201d because they \u201cget their sport back\u201d (NBCSPORTS.com, 12\/11<\/a>).<\/p>\n

IN THE DETAILS: THE ATHLETIC\u2019s Jordan Bianchi cited sources that the settlement saw NASCAR make \u201cseveral notable concessions beyond just granting teams \u2018evergreen\u2019 charters, comparable to a franchise in most professional sports leagues.\u201d In addition to all 15 charter-holding teams having their charters become \u201cpermanent instead of expiring at a set end date,\u201d the settlement terms include teams \u201creceiving a say in governance and a greater percentage of various NASCAR revenue streams.\u201d The combined gains are considered a \u201cmassive win\u201d by 23XI and Front Row that will \u201cbenefit every Cup Series organization, as the teams achieved many of the goals they laid out when the most recent charter negotiations began more than two years ago.\u201d NASCAR also agreed \u201cto pay monetary damages to 23XI and Front Row,\u201d according to sources, though the \u201cexact figure is unknown\u201d (THE ATHLETIC, 12\/11<\/a>).<\/p>\n

PUSHING FOR PROGRESS: ESPN.com\u2019s Ryan McGee wrote there was \u201cno doubt that the victory belonged to the teams over the sanctioning body because we already knew that their ultimate goal had been achieved.\u201d In the end, this was about \u201ctheir fight for NASCAR to make team charters, as close as stock car racing gets to stick-and-ball franchises, permanent.\u201d It is \u201cvery difficult\u201d to find someone in the Cup Series paddock who \u201cdoes not believe this is the right move.\u201d In fact, every team in the Cup Series garage once stood with 23XI and FRM, although they \u201ceventually relented and were willing to let those two teams carry ahead with the fight alone.\u201d McGee: \u201cThey won that fight, and as a result, so did every NASCAR team owner who is fortunate enough to have one of those 36 charters\u201d (ESPN.com, 12\/11<\/a>).<\/p>\n

HARD FEELINGS: In Charlotte, Alex Zietlow notes one disclosure from the case was \u201cinternal messages that executives wish they could have back.\u201d This lawsuit was \u201creplete with embarrassing, unflattering and unbecoming messages, all of which were found during the discovery process and revealed to the jury during trial.\u201d Zietlow: \u201cAcrimony is what made this trial so tense. It\u2019s also what made Thursday\u2019s settlement so surprising — and necessary for the sport to move on\u201d (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 12\/12<\/a>). FOXSPORTS.com\u2019s Bob Pockrass wrote NASCAR had \u201ccontended all along that this was negotiation through litigation.\u201d And while the lawsuit is over, \u201cbitter feelings could continue.\u201d Pockrass: \u201cSeveral texts and emails of NASCAR executives making disparaging comments about drivers, as well as long-time owner Richard Childress, won\u2019t be forgotten.\u201d The 23XI Racing \u201cinternal squabbles also were brought to light\u201d — Jordan\u2019s own business execs \u201ccomplained about\u201d Hamlin and his \u201cexcessive spending\u201d (FOXSPORTS.com, 12\/11<\/a>). <\/p>\n

OWNERSHIPS\u2019 OPINIONS: REUTERS wrote team owners \u201cpraised Thursday\u2019s decision and what it meant for the future health of their sport.\u201d Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick was among the \u201chigh-profile owners to release a statement Thursday afternoon.\u201d Hendrick said, \u201cToday\u2019s resolution allows all of us to focus on what truly matters — the future of our sport.\u201d Team Penske owner Roger Penske said in a statement, \u201cToday\u2019s settlement is tremendous news for the industry.\u201d Wood Brothers Racing posted on X, \u201cGreat news\u201d (REUTERS, 12\/11<\/a>). <\/p>\n

AIR JORDAN: FORBES\u2019 Greg Engle wrote, for Jordan, the case was \u201cnever just about dollars and decimals.\u201d Jordan said, \u201cFrom the beginning, this lawsuit was about progress. It was about making sure our sport evolves in a way that supports everyone: teams, drivers, partners, employees, and fans\u201d (FORBES, 12\/11<\/a>). THE ATHLETIC\u2019s Jeff Gluck noted as much as other \u201ckey players were involved,\u201d this trial was \u201cso much about Jordan vs. NASCAR.\u201d Without his \u201cdeep pockets to fund massive legal fees, without his willingness to engage NASCAR\u2019s founding France family in legal combat as no one had done before, and without his insatiable appetite for winning, this lawsuit would have never happened.\u201d All along, Jordan insisted that he was here to \u201cstrengthen NASCAR and form a partnership, not tear it apart.\u201d Jordan said that he \u201cwanted change\u201d and he was \u201cwilling to do whatever it took to achieve it — even if it meant risking his race team\u2019s existence.\u201d After Thursday, that mission \u201chas been accomplished.\u201d While there is \u201cno question Jordan will always be most known for the impact he had on basketball, he can now add NASCAR to the list of sports for which he will be regarded as a historic figure.\u201d The victory he achieved Thursday was \u201cthat\u202fsignificant for stock car racing.\u201d Jordan is not in NASCAR \u201cfor the money.\u201d He is in it because he \u201cactually, genuinely loves racing.\u201d And yet, because of the \u201cbitter charter negotiations and then the lawsuit, NASCAR has completely missed the chance to link arms with him and help promote the sport during his time as a team owner.\u201d That \u201chas the chance to change now\u201d (THE ATHLETIC, 12\/11<\/a>). <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The settlement that ended the antitrust lawsuit between NASCAR and teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports \u201cabsolutely\u201d…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":340872,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,139,14088,12716,634,82],"class_list":["post-340871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-leadership","tag-legal","tag-motorsports","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340871"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340871\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/340872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}