NASCAR CEO Jim France Faces Antitrust Lawsuit Questioning At Talladega

NASCAR and its CEO Jim France faces an antitrust lawsuit filed by two teams – 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The suit, announced at the beginning of the week, accuses NASCAR of creating a monopoly in stock car racing.

Critical points of contention include restrictive charter agreements, NASCAR’s control over the Next Gen cars and associated rights, limitations on participation in non-NASCAR events, and reliance on single-source suppliers for the Next Gen vehicles.

France, who was spotted at Talladega Superspeedway, chose not to comment on the specifics of the case when approached by reporters. Instead, France shifted the focus back to NASCAR’s ongoing championship battles. FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass shared to social media:

“Saw Jim France in the garage. He declined to talk about the 23XI/FRM lawsuit. Said he was looking forward to the race today.”

Jeff Gluck of The Athletic also posted:

“NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France declined comment on the lawsuit but said: ‘Excited about our championship battles and looking forward to a fantastic race today.'”

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports released a joint statement earlier in the week confirming the lawsuit which was filed in the Western District of North Carolina. It read, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports:

“We share a passion for racing, the thrill of competition, and winning. Off the racetrack, we share a belief that change is necessary for the sport we love. Together, we brought this antitrust case so that racing can thrive and become a more competitive and fair sport in ways that will benefit teams, drivers, sponsors, and, most importantly, fans.”

23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin commented on the decision to take legal action:

“It’s actually pretty simple in my opinion. When I look around, I see that the best and most competitive sports in the world understand that when teams thrive, fans benefit, and that everyone who invests in making the sport a success should share fairly in that success. With the right changes, we can certainly make that a reality in racing.”

Bob Jenkins, Front Row Motorsports owner, also explained:

“I have been part of this racing community for 20 years and couldn’t be more proud of the Front Row Motorsports team and our success. But the time has come for change. We need a more competitive and fair system where teams, drivers, and sponsors can be rewarded for our collective investment by building long-term enterprise value, just like every other successful professional sports league.”

At the time of writing, France is yet to officially comment on the lawsuit.