AVONDALE, Ariz. — Denny Hamlin, along with basketball legend Michael Jordan, who co-owns the racing team 23XI Racing, has expressed uncertainty about whether their team will have cars ready to race at the beginning of the upcoming season. This statement comes after a federal court denied a temporary injunction that would have granted 23XI and Front Row Motorsports charter status amidst their ongoing antitrust legal battle with NASCAR and its chairman, Jim France.
Hamlin conveyed his thoughts at Phoenix Raceway, stating, “I think it’s all TBD. There’s certain things that we’re going to have to navigate, so I hope so.” This indecision reflects the recent developments surrounding charter agreements that will take effect in the next season. According to these new agreements, teams are prohibited from suing NASCAR, a clause that both 23XI and Front Row have sought to challenge in court while also requesting charter status to support their lawsuit.
Both racing teams have opted not to accept the charter agreements that were presented just before the playoffs in September, making them two of the only fifteen teams to decline these offers. Hamlin expressed satisfaction that the judge recognized the validity of their case and aims to hasten the legal process. He remarked, “Obviously, judging on it without prejudice and giving us an opportunity to refile once the situation changes, because he knows that things will change over the next few months.”
23XI and Front Row each operate two cars and have entered into agreements to buy a third charter from Stewart-Haas Racing. Both teams have maintained that they will participate in the coming season, even if it means competing as “open” teams without the same protections as chartered teams. They face significant challenges ahead as non-chartered teams do not receive the same level of funding and miss out on guaranteed entries into all 38 races on the calendar. This uncertainty could lead to sponsors and drivers potentially departing if charter status is not achieved.
When asked about the plans for participating in upcoming events, like the exhibition Clash and the Daytona 500, Hamlin’s response demonstrated a level of ambiguity for the first time. He also indicated he’s unsure about the status of the potential purchase of an SHR charter. NASCAR has retracted its original charter offers to both teams and announced a reduction in the number of available charters for the next year from 36 to 32.
23XI Racing is gearing up for Sunday’s crucial Cup championship race at Phoenix, where Tyler Reddick will compete. Hamlin revealed a stark reality, asserting that NASCAR might not be concerned about the potential collapse of their team or Reddick departing after a championship win, drawing parallels to the fate of Furniture Row Racing, which ceased operations following Martin Truex Jr.’s title win in 2017.
“Furniture Row did it. They ceased to exist after a championship,” Hamlin reflected. “I think that depending who you ask, I think on one side they could care less whether you’re here or not. For us, there’s so much investment from our team, and we want to see it thrive. We’re committed to attempting to make everything as fair as possible. We’ve been thrust into a challenging position.” He emphasized the importance of this weekend’s race, asserting that there is a strong desire to win, coupled with pride in the progress their relatively new team has made.