The 2025 season has taken a challenging turn for 23XI Racing. The team’s lawsuit against NASCAR isn’t going well, and the courtroom blows are landing hard. Still, Bubba Wallace, the team’s No. 23 car driver, is taking it all in stride. He is firmly placing his faith in the leadership of Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan to weather the legal storm.
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Both 23XI and Front Row Motorsports have operated under NASCAR’s charter system. This guarantees race entries and significant financial perks. The two teams filed a lawsuit last year after refusing to sign NASCAR’s proposed new charter agreement.
However, a major setback came last week when the Fourth Circuit denied their request for an “en banc” hearing, that is, the full bench of the court. That decision upheld a prior ruling from a three-judge panel, which had scrapped the preliminary injunction temporarily safeguarding their charter status.
When asked during a media session at Sonoma whether he follows the details of the escalating lawsuit, Bubba Wallace remained as cool as ever. “No, honestly no,” he replied.
“Obviously, you just know the base layer of everything, but opportunities are in front of me. I’m going to keep showing up until the doors are locked or whatever, you know? So, for me, I just show up, have fun. Whatever happens, happens,” Wallace added.
On the prospect of having to race his way into each event, Wallace didn’t flinch, stating he would be concerned if he didn’t have speed in their cars, which they do. So the pressure’s already there to go out and be as fast as he can. Now, all eyes turn to co-owners Hamlin and Jordan as they chart a course through the fallout.
Unless a last-minute turn of events saves them, both teams stand to lose their combined six charters, three apiece, just before the Cup race at Sonoma Speedway. That holds serious implications for the two outfits.
Without charter protection, the teams may have to return millions in race earnings accumulated this season. Moreover, they’d be forced to qualify on speed for each race, with no guaranteed starting spots.
