Photo: Staff Sgt. Mike Meares | Public domain | Wikimedia Commons
Michael Jordan Details Role in NASCAR Antitrust Settlement Reshaping Team Charters
Michael Jordan says he was "all in" on an antitrust lawsuit challenging NASCAR’s charter system, which he viewed as "lopsided" and "wrong" and was prepared to be "kicked out" of the sport to force change. The December 2025 settlement granted all teams evergreen charters with improved terms—a result NASCAR chairman Jim France called confirmation of the system's value—and Jordan framed the fight as necessary even if he lost. Jordan’s 23XI Racing partnership began after Denny Hamlin responded to an inaccurate article with "Not real, but if you want to make it real let me know," and teammates say Jordan’s championship mindset has reshaped the team’s culture.
📌 Key Facts
- The December 2025 settlement granted all NASCAR teams evergreen charters with improved terms; NASCAR chairman Jim France called the charter system "invaluable" and said the agreement reaffirms NASCAR’s commitment to preserving and enhancing that value.
- Michael Jordan said he viewed NASCAR’s charter system as "lopsided" and "wrong" and was prepared to be "kicked out" of the sport if necessary to force change, framing his antitrust suit as a necessary fight even if he lost.
- CBS Sunday Morning (segment published March 29, 2026) reported Jordan detailing his role in prompting the antitrust action and the subsequent settlement that reshaped team charters.
- CBS provided additional narrative on how the 23XI Racing partnership began: co‑owner Denny Hamlin saw an inaccurate article about Jordan buying a team, and Jordan replied, "Not real, but if you want to make it real let me know," which helped start the partnership.
- 23XI driver Tyler Reddick and co‑owner Denny Hamlin described Jordan’s leadership as having a strong cultural impact inside the team, saying his championship mindset and expectations "motivate the hell out of" employees and shape the internal atmosphere around winning and losing.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 29, 2026
2:05 PM
Michael Jordan on NASCAR, basketball and the one title he won't claim
New information:
- CBS provides more narrative detail on how the 23XI Racing partnership began, including Denny Hamlin seeing an inaccurate article about a Jordan team purchase and Jordan replying, "Not real, but if you want to make it real let me know."
- Jordan reiterates that he viewed NASCAR’s charter system as "lopsided" and "wrong" and says he was prepared to be "kicked out" of the sport if that’s what it took to force change, framing the antitrust suit as a necessary fight even if he lost.
- The article restates that the December 2025 settlement granted all teams evergreen charters with improved terms and includes NASCAR chairman Jim France’s statement calling the charter system "invaluable" and saying the agreement reaffirms NASCAR’s commitment to preserving and enhancing that value.
- 23XI driver Tyler Reddick and co‑owner Hamlin describe the cultural impact of Jordan’s leadership style inside the team, saying his championship mindset and expectations "motivate the hell out of" employees and shape the internal atmosphere around winning and losing.
March 27, 2026