Butch Dill/AP
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR on Wednesday filed a counterclaim against Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports alleging they “willfully” violated antitrust laws by orchestrating anticompetitive collective conduct in connection with the most recent charter agreements.
23XI and Front Row were the only two teams out of 15 that refused to sign the new agreements, which were presented to the teams last September in a take-it-or-leave-it offer a mere 48 hours before the start of NASCAR’s playoffs.
The charters are NASCAR’s version of a franchise and guarantee 36 of the 40 spots in each week’s field to the teams that hold them, as well as other financial incentives.