In the recent development of the antitrust battle between 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports vs. NASCAR, the sanctioning body filed a motion for summary judgment on Friday, contending that pretrial discovery has undercut the case against it. NASCAR argued that the record shows no grounds for the suit to proceed to trial.
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As part of its filing, NASCAR submitted new written statements from a slate of influential owners, including Richard Childress, Joe Gibbs, Rick Hendrick, Brad Keselowski, Carl Long, BJ McLeod, Roger Penske, Gordon Smith, Rick Ware, Cal Wells, and Jon Wood. The message from ownership, broadly, was unmistakable: the charter system has been a net positive, the ongoing lawsuit only creates instability, and permanency is the end goal.
Across 121 pages of redacted and unredacted content, the declarations presented a unified picture of support for the current framework, with owners emphasizing the importance of resolving the matter promptly before lasting harm is done to the sport.
NASCAR’s motion specifically asked the court to decide the case on its merits without sending it to a jury, arguing that 23XI and FRM’s claims lack substance. The sanctioning body accused 23XI of joining the Cup Series under the premise of being a stock car team, only to later allege that NASCAR’s system placed them at a competitive disadvantage.
NASCAR further countered by highlighting that every team except 23XI and FRM signed the 2025–2031 charter extension prior to the lawsuit, evidence it says underscores the strength of the system.
When Jeff Gluck shared the update on X, fans pounced. Gluck wrote, “NASCAR tonight has filed a motion for a summary judgment containing declarations from several significant team owners, including Rick Hendrick, Roger Penske, Joe Gibbs, Richard Childress, Brad Keselowski and more. In short, the owners say the charter system must be preserved and want the lawsuit to go away.”
The fans’ reaction was swift and biting. One fan scoffed, “Lmao Hendricks just admitting they’re totally cool running at a deficit. Absolutely pathetic from these teams.” Another mocked the owners as “trained dogs” on a leash, writing, “Will they be wearing leashes around the garage like the trained dogs that they are?”
NASCAR tonight has filed a motion for a summary judgment containing declarations from several significant team owners, including Rick Hendrick, Roger Penske, Joe Gibbs, Richard Childress, Brad Keselowski and more. In short, the owners say the charter system must be preserved and…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 4, 2025
Others pointed to past contradictions, noting Hendrick and Childress had once voiced skepticism about the system before now falling in line, with one user remarking, “What’s wild is Rick and RC both openly said it was a mess of a deal but gave up so it would look goofy for them to back track. I’d assume opposing side (MJ) will pull the receipts of those comments.”
Another cut to the bone with: “They’re a bunch of gutless bootlickers.”
Amid the storm, Bob Pockrass reported that Joe Gibbs clarified his stance, insisting he does not wish to play the role of witness for either side: “I have made it clear to both sides in this lawsuit that I do not want to be a witness and I think it’s important for this to be resolved before any real damage is done to the sport,” probably because he maintains a cordial relation with both sides: 23XI Racing team owners, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, and NASCAR.
