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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a federal courtroom on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and novelty within the sport emboldened his effort with 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of antitrust rules.

Team Investment and a Competitive Drive

Jordan shared operational insights of his 23XI team, revealing he invested $40 million of his personal wealth into the Cup Series operation co-founded with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated during testimony. “I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport required examination from a different view.”

The Core Dispute: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

The heart of the case involves the end of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other major leagues with independent franchises, like the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar insisted on teams renew their charters.

Jordan was on the witness stand for an hour and left the court to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a view or a picture of the sports legend.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is at the forefront of the push along with another racing team for Nascar to change a business model Jordan said is unlawful to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and a fellow team representative, who testified before Jordan, are details from last September. Gibbs described a hectic and tense period where the racing circuit informed teams they had to sign a charter agreement extension. The document consists of over a hundred pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally decided their only feasible option was to refuse a signature that extensive document and litigate the matter. All other teams agreed to the terms.

The team owners approached Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, Jordan said.

The Bottom Line: Victory

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was mostly about the usual bottom line for Jordan: Winning.

“Denny convinced me adding a third car improved our chances to win,” he testified, sharing that he bought a third charter last year for $28 million despite the uncertainty. “So I dove in.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, submitted in a formal letter to Nascar. She testified the pressure of the signature deadline was problematic.

According to her, the team founder first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of forcing signatures, but CEO Jim France declined the request.

“Please don’t force this on us,” Heather Gibbs said Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s executives. She said France replied, “Whether I have 20 charters, I have 20. If there are 30, that’s the number.”