'Want NASCAR To Be Better': NBA Legend Michael Jordan In Court As Anti-Trust Case Begins

Last Updated:December 06, 2025, 12:13 IST

Analysts believe the lawsuit could have significant implications for NASCAR.

Michael Jordan arrives in the Western District of North Carolina. (AP Photo)

NBA legend Michael Jordan testified in a North Carolina courtroom on Friday, expressing his intention to “push NASCAR to be better" through his anti-trust lawsuit against the prominent US auto racing series. As a co-owner of the 23XI Racing team in NASCAR’s elite Cup Series, Jordan filed the suit alongside Front Row Motorsports last year after declining to sign new NASCAR charters.

During his testimony in a federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jordan shared that he has been a NASCAR fan since childhood but felt compelled to sue to address a business model he believes is unfair to teams and drivers.

“NASCAR’s relationship with its Cup teams is not a partnership but rather a contractor arrangement," Jordan stated. “I want to push NASCAR to be better. When you talk about charters and partnerships, that’s the ideal scenario."

The lawsuit alleges that NASCAR and its chief executive, Jim France, operate without transparency, stifle competition, and control the sport in ways that unfairly benefit them at the expense of team owners, drivers, sponsors, partners, and fans. The teams accuse NASCAR of engaging in anti-competitive practices, such as purchasing most of the top racetracks exclusive to NASCAR races and imposing exclusivity deals on NASCAR-sanctioned tracks.

The suit further details practices like acquiring the stock car competitor Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), preventing teams from participating in other stock car races, and mandating that teams buy their parts from single-source suppliers selected by NASCAR. Analysts believe the lawsuit could have significant implications for NASCAR, yet the atmosphere in the courtroom on Friday was cordial and occasionally lighthearted.

An attorney representing NASCAR thanked Jordan, a six-time NBA champion, for making his 9-year-old son think his father was “pretty cool today."

Jordan smiled and suggested that the effect could be enhanced with a pair of signature sneakers. “I see you’re not wearing your Jordans today," he noted.

With AFP Inputs

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