23XI Racing, co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, and Front Row Motorsports are competing at Dover without charter status after a judge's decision this week.
23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin reaffirmed his commitment Saturday to the antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR even as all three of his cars will run without charter status this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway.
A U.S. District Court judge denied a request by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports for a temporary restraining order Thursday. That order would have allowed the two organizations to compete with the status of chartered teams despite not signing the charter agreement last year.
The U.S. District Court judge did not rule on the request by both teams for a preliminary injunction on the same matter.
This is only a part of the antitrust lawsuit the two teams filed last October against NASCAR and NASCAR CEO Jim France. The case is scheduled for trial Dec. 1.
Asked about the ramifications of 23XI Racing competing as an open team this weekend, Hamlin told reporters Saturday at Dover:
“This would just be my blanket answer for all questions about this. If you want answers, you want to understand why this is all happening, come Dec. 1. You’ll get the answers that you’re looking for and all will be exposed.”
Later asked if anything has caused him to second guess the lawsuit, Hamlin told reporters: “Not a chance.”
Asked if 23XI Racing has had to do anything different as an open team, Hamlin cited the trial date in his response, saying: “Dec. 1 is all that matters. Mark your calendar.”
23IX Racing employs Cup drivers Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst. Front Row Motorsports employs Cup drivers Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith and Noah Gragson.
Reddick told reporters Saturday: "Everything related to the litigation, charters, I don't have a comment for at the time."
Last year when 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports sought a preliminary injunction that would allow them to operate with charter status, Reddick’s contract was cited in that he had to be aligned with a team with a charter. In its request this past week for the temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports raised the issue of driver contracts and sponsor contracts being impacted if they did not have the charter status.
While denying the temporary restraining order this week, Judge Kenneth D. Bell wrote: “Finally, Plaintiffs say they face the threat of the irreparable loss of drivers and sponsor relationships and opportunities.
"With respect to drivers, the record stands in a different posture than it did prior to the season when the Court entered the earlier injunction.
“While Plaintiffs’ drivers could have realistically terminated their contracts with Plaintiffs and/or been lured away by other teams, that prospect (although theoretically still conceivable) appears unlikely at this late stage of the season, and Plaintiffs have not offered evidence that any drivers are intending to do so in the next two weeks. Moreover, Plaintiffs have not established an imminent loss of sponsorships before the Preliminary Injunction can be decided.”
Category: General Sports
