The latest development in 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ charter lawsuit against NASCAR is that the teams could soon face the real possibility of running as open entries in Cup races, as the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a rehearing request last week. With the major implications of that decision, drivers like Zane Smith from the FRM camp are keeping such distractions out of their minds as the sport heads to Sonoma this Sunday.
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Elaborating on what he thinks during such uncertain times for his employer, Smith seemed to pay minimal heed to the distractions, deeming the process “well above his pay grade.”
“My focus is on just competing to the best of my capability with this whole 38 group, and my role is to bring good energy to my team and keep them fired up,” said the No. 38 Ford Mustang driver.
The challenges for the teams and drivers, if they are to be classified as open entries, double during any given weekend, as qualifying on Saturday would determine whether the driver even qualifies for Sunday’s race. This also increases pressure on drivers to perform while altering the dynamics of the winnings received by the organization at the end of every event.
“We’re all just focused on our jobs and allowing the lawyers to take care of that side. We’re racers, not lawyers. I don’t know anything about that, so I’m not gonna act like I do. We’re excited to go compete, and with this charter change, we often don’t see 40-plus cars, so I don’t know what it will look like,” Smith added.
With the tools in the race shop and his driving skills behind the wheel remaining the same, Smith argues that in an ideal world, nothing should change for the team, no matter what the circumstances present.
With the long and complex process of the legal proceedings still underway, it is unclear which way the scales are expected to tip once everything is said and done in the court.
One thing, however, according to 23XI Racing‘s attorney Jeffrey Kessler, is certain: the rejected appeal does not affect the separate antitrust case against NASCAR.
“This decision has no bearing on the strength of our antitrust case, which we look forward to presenting at trial. We are committed to racing this season as we continue to fight for more competitive and fair terms for all teams to ensure the future of the sport, and remain fully confident in our case,” Kessler told NBC Sports.
It remains to be seen how this ever-evolving story develops.
