NASCAR just brought its big guns to the showdown. Hendrick Motorsports head honcho Rick Hendrick, Team Penske owner Roger Penske, and nine other owners have sworn their allegiance to the stock car racing giant in its charter dispute against 23Xi Racing and Front Row Motorsports. Yet, despite the mounting odds and severe pressure, the teams seem determined to keep fighting.
NASCAR Charter Clash Heats Up; 23XI and FRM Remain Defiant
In a significant development, NASCAR presented its team owners’ declaration in the ongoing legal dispute with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports over the unfolding charter issue. On Friday, the sanctioning body filed a late-evening motion seeking summary judgment against 23XI and FRM, accompanied by declarations from multiple team owners affirming their support for maintaining the charter system.
In its motion for a sub-trial summary, NASCAR described the lawsuit as a “frontal assault on the charter system” and stressed that the garage seeks a swift end to the case. Hendrick (Hendrick Motorsports), Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing), Joe Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing), Penske (Team Penske), Richard Childress (Richard Childress Racing), Rick Ware (Rick Ware Racing), Carl Long (MBM Motorsport), BJ McLeod (Live Fast Motorsports), and Gordon Smith (Hyak Motorsports) all issued statements backing NASCAR, emphasizing that the charter system is a significant benefit for the sport.
In addition, Wood Brothers President Jon Wood and Legacy Motor Club CEO Cal Wells also provided quotes in favor of the stock car racing giant. Then came the resounding statement from the organization’s representative on Friday.
“Neither greed, nor an individual’s bruised ego over his inability to deliver on some promises he made to other Teams, justifies trying to destroy an institution that countless people, including the France family, tracks, team owners, and drivers have spent decades developing and growing.”
As critics speculate, NASCAR is rattled by the 23XI/FRM litigation and intends to end the suit before it reaches the final jury. Regardless of what the so-called industry “experts” feel, 23XI and FRM are hell-bent on seeing the fight through to the final bell.
Jeffrey Kessler, the joint attorney for the team, said in a statement, “The declarations submitted by the various teams are supportive of my clients’ position. My clients
are not, and never have been, seeking to eliminate the charter system. They have
supported charters because teams cannot survive without them.
Dueling statements were released by #NASCAR and attorney Jeffrey Kessler who represents @23XIRacing/@Team_FRM in the ongoing anti-trust lawsuit against the sanctioning body. pic.twitter.com/moxjbKgS2c
— Jerry Jordan (@JerryJordan_KTT) October 4, 2025
“The declarations from team owners and executives acknowledge this same economic reality. Nor do they excuse NASCAR’s anticompetitive conduct or its unlawful monopoly, points 23XI and Front Row have maintained from the start.
“Many teams have expressed a desire to resolve this matter, a goal my clients share, but NASCAR has yet to demonstrate a similar willingness to engage in meaningful resolution.”
Optimistic about the road ahead, he insisted that NASCAR’s new motion changes nothing: “We are confident NASCAR’s summary judgment motion is not going to succeed. This lawsuit has always been about making NASCAR more competitive and fair for the benefit of drivers, sponsors, teams, and fans who love the sport. NASCAR’s new motion changes nothing, and we look forward to presenting our case at trial on December 1.”
