Michael Jordan vs NASCAR Ends In A Plot Twist: MJ Gets The Win Against 'Monopoly'

Last Updated:December 12, 2025, 09:32 IST

Michael Jordan and Jim France ended a 16-month legal battle as NASCAR granted permanent charters to teams.

Michael Jordan addressing the media (X)

Everyone knows that when Michael Jordan takes something personally, you’re bound to be hounded by the GOAT into submission.

And guess what? The former six-time NBA champion walked out of a federal courthouse on Thursday looking less like a plaintiff fresh off an eight-day antitrust battle, and more like a man who’d just sealed the clutch win he wanted.

Beside him? NASCAR chairman Jim France, the very executive he’d just spent over a year locked in a bruising legal fight with.

Yet there they stood, shoulder-to-shoulder, flanked by Denny Hamlin, 23XI partner Curtis Polk, Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins, and an army of lawyers, all celebrating one thing: NASCAR finally caved.

After 16 months of tension, the sides reached a settlement that will grant teams permanent charters — the key asset that guarantees race entry and revenue, and the very thing Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports refused to sign without a fight.

The teams’ lawsuit accused NASCAR of running the sport like a monopoly: opaque decisions, restrictive rules, and control that tilted too heavily in the sanctioning body’s favour. They argued the charters weren’t giving teams enough rights, money, or long-term stability.

On Thursday, everything shifted.

“Like two competitors, we both tried to get as much in our favour," Jordan said, towering over France. “But the only way this sport grows is if both sides find synergy. It took way too long, but we’re finally there — and I’m proud of that."

France echoed the sentiment, admitting the feud had diverted attention from what mattered most.

“We can get back to racing now," he said. “We made a very good decision together and have a huge opportunity to keep growing the sport."

Only two of NASCAR’s 15 teams refused to sign the original charters — Jordan’s 23XI and Jenkins’ Front Row. Now, both sides say the new agreement ensures the health of the sport “for generations to come," even though the financial details remain private.

News sports nba Michael Jordan vs NASCAR Ends In A Plot Twist: MJ Gets The Win Against 'Monopoly'

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