As the highly anticipated antitrust lawsuit between 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR heads to trial, co-owner and veteran Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin has turned up the heat with a blistering public rebuke of both the sanctioning body and segments of the media covering the case.

The latest flare-up began when ESPN senior writer Ryan McGee posted a preview of the upcoming trial on X (formerly Twitter) under the headline “23XI vs. NASCAR trial: Why Jordan wants to tear up stock car racing.”

Hamlin wasted no time firing back, accusing the piece of being little more than sanctioned propaganda designed to protect NASCAR’s image and distort the public’s understanding of the dispute.

In a series of pointed posts, Hamlin wrote, “Please give credit to @mforde for helping you write this propaganda piece that they want pushed to switch the narrative. Continuous lies about our stance, NASCAR’s motives for its actions, and a continued message from the sanctioning body that everything is fine. Our fans know better.”

The “@mforde” reference was to Mike Forde, NASCAR’s senior vice president of communications, whom Hamlin implied had a heavy editorial hand in shaping the story.

McGee responded calmly, defending the article’s balance by noting its repeated use of phrasing such as “(party) believes…” and “(party) argues…” in an attempt to present both sides fairly.

“Tried to hit it down the middle… Sorry you disagree, but thanks for reading. See you Monday,” the writer replied.

Hamlin was unmoved. He doubled down, declaring that NASCAR fans “have been brainwashed with their talking points for decades” and accusing media outlets of being “intimidated” into parroting the France family’s preferred narrative.

“Lies are over starting Monday morning,” he warned. “It’s time for the truth. It’s time for a change.”

The trial, set to begin Monday, December 1, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina in Charlotte, represents the most serious legal challenge NASCAR has faced in decades.

23XI Racing—co-owned by Hamlin, NBA legend Michael Jordan, and businessman Curtis Polk—along with Front Row Motorsports, allege that NASCAR and its controlling France family have systematically violated Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act by maintaining an illegal monopoly over premier stock car racing in the United States.

At the heart of the complaint are three pillars of NASCAR’s business model that the teams claim stifle competition and enrich the sanctioning body at everyone else’s expense:

- The charter system introduced in 2016, which guarantees 36 teams a starting spot in every Cup Series race but comes with severe restrictions, including prohibitions on competing in most non-NASCAR events without explicit permission.

- Ownership or control of 11 of the sport’s most important racetracks after the merger with International Speedway Corporation.

- A $7.7 billion media-rights package (2025–2031) that the teams say locks them into unfavorable revenue splits while NASCAR retains near-total control over how and where the sport is promoted and broadcast.

Recent pretrial rulings have tilted momentum toward the plaintiffs.

On November 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney denied NASCAR’s motion to dismiss the core monopolization claim, ruling that sufficient evidence exists for a jury to find that NASCAR indeed holds monopoly power in the top tier of American stock car racing.

In a separate blow, Judge Kenneth Bell threw out NASCAR’s counterclaims that 23XI and Front Row had breached contractual obligations by refusing to sign the latest charter agreement.

Discovery has already produced embarrassing revelations for the sanctioning body, including internal text messages from top executives Steve Phelps (NASCAR president) and Steve O’Donnell (chief operating officer) that mocked certain team owners and contained derogatory remarks about the sport’s own fan base.

The bench trial before Judge Whitney is expected to last approximately ten days.

Both sides have submitted more than 1,000 exhibits—emails, financial spreadsheets, revenue projections, and competing economic analyses—that will be dissected in open court.

Live witnesses will include Michael Jordan himself, multiple team owners, track operators, and high-ranking NASCAR officials.

Should the plaintiffs prevail, statutory treble damages could push the award north of $1 billion, a figure that would rattle the sport’s financial foundation.

Beyond money, 23XI and Front Row are seeking sweeping injunctive relief: a restructured charter system with higher team revenue percentages, elimination of most non-compete clauses, and an open-market approach that would allow new owners and manufacturers to enter the sport without NASCAR’s blessing.

NASCAR, for its part, insists its current model is the only thing keeping the sport financially viable in an era of rising costs and declining attendance at some venues.

Executives argue that without centralized control, stock car racing would fracture the way open-wheel racing did in the 1990s, ultimately harming drivers, teams, and fans alike.

Whatever the outcome is, appeals are virtually guaranteed, meaning the final chapter of this landmark case may not be written for years.

One thing, however, is already clear: the France family’s decades-long grip on America’s most popular form of motorsport has never been under greater threat, and Denny Hamlin—both on the track and now in the courtroom—appears determined to see the old order changed forever.