None of this surprises me. NASCAR has not operated as a team effort for years and I am surprised it took this long for a team or two has taken action against NASCAR. I think it helps that Michael Jordan is a driving effort of the lawsuit. NASCAR teams 23XI and Front Row Motorsports issued a joint statement Wednesday morning: “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 and Front Row Motorsports jointly filed an antitrust lawsuit in the Western District of North Carolina against the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and its CEO Jim France, arguing that the stock car racing circuit and its leadership have used anti-competitive practices to prevent fair competition in the sport. In a joint statement, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports said, “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.” NASCAR and the France family operate without transparency, have stifled competition, and control the sport of stock car racing in ways that unfairly benefit them at the expense of team owners, drivers, sponsors, partners, and fans, through the following anti-competitive practices: Buying a majority of the premier racetracks that are exclusive to NASCAR races; Imposing exclusivity deals on NASCAR-sanctioned racetracks; Acquiring Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), the only notable stock car racing series competitor; Preventing teams from participating in any other stock car races, while also retaining ownership over Next Gen parts and cars; and forcing teams to buy their parts from single-source suppliers chosen by NASCAR. No other major professional sport in North America is run by a single family that enriches themselves through these kinds of unchecked monopolistic practices. Central to the lawsuit are the original NASCAR charters adopted in 2016 and the recently updated 2025 agreements, which the 23XI and Front Row Motorsports teams did not sign because of the unfair terms. After more than two years of attempted negotiations over the 2025 agreements, during which NASCAR continually stonewalled and refused to engage constructively, we concluded that litigation was the only way to address the anti-competitive practices of NASCAR and the France family. In the coming days, we will file a preliminary injunction to enable our teams to race in the next calendar year under the 2025 charter agreement, while continuing to pursue our antitrust litigation. The filing will seek discovery from both NASCAR and Jim France related to their exclusionary practices and intent to insulate themselves from any competition. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will seek treble damages for the anti-competitive terms that teams have been subject to under the 2016 charter agreement. 23XI Racing was founded in 2020 by Denny Hamlin, Michael Jordan, and Curtis Polk, and Front Row Motorsports is owned by Bob Jenkins and has been racing full-time since 2005. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have retained Winston & Strawn LLP as legal counsel, led by Jeffrey Kessler, Winston & Strawn LLP Partner and Co-Executive Chairman. Denny Hamlin, part-owner of 23XI Racing commented: “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.” Michael Jordan, co-owner of 23XI Racing said: “Everyone knows that I have always been a fierce competitor, and that will to win is what drives me and the entire 23XI team each and every week out on the track. I love the sport of racing and the passion of our fans, but the way NASCAR is run today is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans. Today’s action shows I’m willing to fight for a competitive market where everyone wins.” Late Grandview events The 62nd anniversary season of auto racing action at Grandview Speedway for the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman has concluded with two exciting and action packed racing events during the Freedom 76 weekend of racing. However there is one more special event. The final racing events of the 2024 season will be with the Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage Cars on Oct. 18 in another double header plus the addition of the Slingshots and Xcel 600 Modifieds starting at 6 p.m. and there will be a Halloween party for the kids before the races starting at 6 pm. *** Jeff Strunk was officially crowned the 2024 T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modified Grandview Track Champion one week prior on September 14th, capturing his 11th career point title at the track. Strunk won the point title without the benefit of a feature win, scoring 8 top five’s, and 16 top ten finishes in 18 events this season. The final top twenty in points for the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds are 1. Jeff Strunk – 4377, 2. Craig Von Dohren – 4107, 3. Mike Gular – 3863, 4. Jared Umbenhauer – 3536, 5. Duane Howard – 3534, 6. Eddie Strada – 3387, 7. Doug Manmiller – 3347, 8. Louden Reimert – 3214, 9. Brett Kressley – 3210, 10. Tim Buckwalter – 3063, 11. Ryan Watt – 2815, 12. Kevin Hirthler – 2701, 13. Kyle Smith – 2080, 14. Ryan Grim – 2035, 15. Mike Lisowski – 2034, 16. Jimmy Leiby – 2022, 17. Justin Grim – 2006, 18. Jon Kellner – 1989, 19. John Willman – 1932, 20. Eric Kormann – 1819. Logan Watt was officially crowned T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman Champion on Sept.14 after a very close late season point battle with Dylan Swinehart, after leading the points for most of the season. Watt finished the year with three wins, 8 top five’s, and 12 top ten finishes in 18 events. The final top twenty in points for the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman are 1. Logan Watt – 3648, 2. Dylan Swinehart – 3594, 3. Mike Schneck Jr. – 3536, 4. Brett Gilmore – 3225, 5. Addison Meitzler – 3217, 6. Jesse Hirthler – 3201, 7. Adrianna Delliponti – 3172, 8. Ryan Graver – 2941, 9. Logan Bauman – 2618, 10. Nathan Mohr – 2428, 11. Jesse Landis – 2393, 12. TJ Mayberry – 2165, 13. Gavyn Krupp – 2072, 14. Brett Grim – 1952, 15. Kenny Bock – 1891, 16. Dakota Kohler – 1849, 17. Joey Vaccaro – 1848, 18, Parker Guldin – 1841, 19. Mark Mohr – 1809, 20. Teague Miller – 1759. *** Grandview Speedway management has announced that the 2025 63rd anniversary season of professional auto racing will open with the traditional Free-to-the-Public Open Practice on Saturday, March 29, followed by the season opening Bruce Rogers Memorial Money Maker for Modifieds plus 602 Sportsman on Saturday, April 5. Mark your calendars now and don’t miss it!!! FedEx and JGR FedEx is expected to continue reducing its sponsorship presence with Joe Gibbs Racing after this season and could conclude the longtime deal altogether, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that would end one of the more winning driver-sponsor combinations in NASCAR history. The Memphis-based global delivery and logistics giant has been a major sponsor of the team since 2005, and at its height was spending close to $25 million a year just in rights fees to JGR. The company or its divisions and sub brands over the years sponsored every race on Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota during NASCAR’s 38-event schedule up until 2021, when it began cutting back and JGR started finding other companies to fill the open positions. JGR has been in the market looking for new sponsors for the No. 11 for next year, sources say, and that’s being done in anticipation of FedEx dropping more – and possibly all – of its remaining primary positions. It could not be confirmed whether JGR was still holding last-ditch talks with FedEx and the sides have yet to comment on the matter. FedEx did not respond to a request for comment, while JGR declined comment. FedEx has been reshuffling its sports marketing portfolio in recent years amid a broader cost-cutting drive, including this past offseason ending its longtime stadium naming-rights deal with the Commanders, the franchise that JGR owner Joe Gibbs coached to three Super Bowl wins. That deal had been in place since 1999. Hendrick history This officially licensed history book features stunning photography, including rare images from the Hendrick Motorsports archive. Since Rick Hendrick launched Hendrick Motorsports in 1984, the ensuing four decades, it has become one of the most successful and high-profile teams in the sport’s long history. Competing in the elite NASCAR Cup Series, as of 2023, the team had posted the most points-paying wins and the most championships. Authored by long-time NASCAR journalist Ben White, with a foreword by Jeff Gordon and afterword by Rick Hendrick, the 200-page book includes images from top NASCAR photographer Nigel Kinrade and from Hendrick Motorsport’s archive. From that first win at Martinsville that saved the team, to the groundbreaking Garage 56 Le Mans program, the full story of the team and the contribution of countless people is told here. As the official 40th anniversary book covering the team’s entire history, “Hendrick Motorsport: 40 Years” is the ideal retrospective – and will make a great gift for the holidays. Ernie Saxton is an auto racing contributor for MediaNews Group. He co-founded the Eastern Motorsports Press Association, served as public relations director for Grandview Speedway for 47 years, and is in multiple halls of fame for his promotion and journalism related to the sport. He has announced races at more than 100 tracks, and he is the only person to have announced a race at Madison Square Garden. Email him at [email protected].