23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports File Antitrust Suit Against NASCAR – Motorsports Tribune

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

The battle between NASCAR and the remaining teams that have yet to sign the new charter agreement took a drastic turn on Wednesday when 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports filed an antitrust suit against the sanctioning body in U.S. District Court.

“We share a passion for racing, the thrill of competition, and winning. Off the racetrack, we share a belief that change is necessary for the sport we love. Together, we brought this antitrust case so that racing can thrive and become a more competitive and fair sport in ways that will benefit teams, drivers, sponsors, and, most importantly, fans,” the teams noted in a statement.

Leading up to the Atlanta race weekend, the new charter agreement was signed by all but 23XI and Front Row, as the two teams held out in hopes of gaining fairer terms.

Since then, both teams have been largely silent, until Wednesday’s suit filing.

In a release posted to the 23XI Racing website, the teams dive into their grievances against NASCAR, alleging the following:

“NASCAR and the France family operate without transparency, have stifled competition, and control the sport of stock car racing in ways that unfairly benefit them at the expense of team owners, drivers, sponsors, partners, and fans, through the following anti-competitive practices:

• Buying a majority of the premier racetracks that are exclusive to NASCAR races;
• Imposing exclusivity deals on NASCAR-sanctioned racetracks;
• Acquiring Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), the only notable stock car racing series competitor;
• Preventing teams from participating in any other stock car races, while also retaining ownership over Next Gen parts and cars; and
• Forcing teams to buy their parts from single-source suppliers chosen by NASCAR.

“No other major professional sport in North America is run by a single family that enriches themselves through these kinds of unchecked monopolistic practices.”

The 23XI release continued, noting that during the charter negotiations teams were “continually stonewalled” and NASCAR “refused to engage constructively.”

As such, the two teams decided that “litigation was the only way to address the anti-competitive practices of NASCAR and the France family.”

Both teams plan to file a preliminary injunction in the coming days to allow them to complete in 2025 under the new charter agreement while they continue their antitrust litigation…