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Michael Jeffrey Jordan, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, admitted that his drive to win and novelty within the sport emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his 23XI team, revealing he put in $40 million of his own funds into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with partner Polk and longtime driver Denny Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated in the Charlotte courtroom. “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

At issue is the expiration of a 2016 agreement where Nascar provided each team a franchise. This system mirrors other professional sports with separately owned franchises, such as the NBA’s Hornets or the Carolina Panthers. This deal was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and left the court to pandemonium, with fans and media vying for a view or a photo of the sports legend.

Leading the Legal Charge

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with another racing team for Nascar to overhaul a operating model Jordan contended is unlawful to keep two hands on the wheel.

At issue for Jordan and a fellow team representative, who preceded Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body informed teams they had to sign a contract extension. This agreement spanned over a hundred pages outlining team compensation and a guaranteed entry in every race.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports decided their sole viable path was to refuse a signature that extensive document and litigate the matter. The other 13 organizations signed the agreement.

The team owners approached Nascar about potential amendments or negotiations. Nascar refused to engage, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Winning

Ultimately, the resistance against what he saw as a unsustainable system was mostly about the familiar goal for Jordan: Winning.

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he said, noting that he bought a third charter last year for $28m despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, submitted in a written letter to Nascar. She said the pressure of the contract signing demand didn’t sit well.

She said, Joe Gibbs first attempted to call and persuade Nascar against demanding signatures, but CEO Jim France declined the request.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted was the message to Nascar’s executives. She said France replied, “Whether I have 20 charters, I have 20. If there are 30, that’s the number.”