Judge Dismisses NASCAR Counterclaims Against 23XI, Front Row

U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell granted summary judgment dismissing NASCAR's counterclaims against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, finding the teams' joint negotiating tactics did not unlawfully restrain trade and that NASCAR suffered only a private economic loss. Bell wrote that NASCAR's claim it overpaid for 2025 charters amounted to a private economic loss and noted NASCAR conducted individual negotiations that produced concrete changes. NASCAR said it respects the decision but disagrees with the legal reasoning, emphasized a priority to resolve the matter ahead of Championship weekend and warned it may appeal if no settlement is reached. 23XI (co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin) and Front Row, through attorney Jeffrey Kessler, praised the ruling and said they remain committed to pursuing a fair resolution. The case remains active procedurally: the parties filed a combined 19 pretrial motions with a Nov. 12 hearing on motions and expert testimony and a Dec. 1 trial date, while multiple sources said recent settlement talks have shown momentum and could produce a deal before the championship race.