Explicit Messages From NASCAR Execs, Michael Jordan Shown in Heated Court Session

Date August 29, 2025
Category
News
Explicit Messages From NASCAR Execs, Michael Jordan Shown in Heated Court Session

NASCAR and 23XI Racing are in the thick of a nasty legal fight over claims that the sanctioning body’s charter system helps it run a monopolistic, anti-competitive racket. With the situation simmering throughout the summer as both parties went through a discovery period, temperatures reached a steady boil during a hearing in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Thursday. The court session exposed text messages in which 23XI co-owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan expressed their disdain for NASCAR’s France family as well as other teams’ cooperation with them, respectively.

The facts discovery process allowed each side access to relevant communications about the case from their opponents, which is how these messages came to light. Collectively, they show the animosity that exists in this court battle, which officially started when 23XI filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and the France family in October 2024. NASCAR returned with a countersuit in March 2025, saying that 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports were working as an “illegal cartel” by meddling in broadcast negotiations as well as organizing a boycott amongst teams.

There’s a two-way tie for which quoted text was the most blunt, and it’s between Hamlin and 23XI President Steve Lauletta. First, Hamlin’s:

“In short, I’m in for the fight with NASCAR. My despise of the France family runs deep, but whatever we do, please lets not sabotage our own business over principle when it comes down to it. Love you all and thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.”

Next, Lauletta’s, which was in response to Hamlin on June 6, 2024:

“I wish I knew what to do and what is the best investment path. Being in for the long haul and [NASCAR CEO] Jim [France] dying is probably the answer.”

Tyler Reddick's No. 45 Toyota Camry NASCAR racer
Getty Images

Although the legal rigmarole between NASCAR and 23XI started less than a year ago, the bad blood goes back further. Hamlin first publicly criticized the charter system in February 2023, saying that teams needed a “permanent” guarantee that they’d be able to race in order to retain value. He argued that if NASCAR could decide not to renew a team’s charter deal, then it makes no financial sense. Jordan echoed the sentiment in May 2024: “If you don’t correct that, the sport’s going to die—not because of the competition aspect, but because economically it doesn’t make sense for any business people.”

23XI Racing declined to sign a new charter agreement last year, intentionally missing the Sept. 7 deadline. Texts reveal that Jordan, for his part, wishes other teams had joined. Court docs showed the following text conversation between Jordan and business partner Curtis Polk after hearing that Joe Gibbs Racing signed a renewed charter deal during the final moments:

“Gibbs signed?” Jordan asked

“Yep,” Polk replied. “Sounds like he got thrown a bone at the 11th hour that is going to be documented in a side letter but I don’t know what that issue is.”

“F*ckers!!!!” Jordan exclaimed. “I think people understand our fight. Good things will come from this. Teams are going to regret not supporting us. P*ssies!!!!!!”

NASCAR executives Steve Phelps and Steve O'Donnell
NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps (foreground) and President Steve O’Donnell (background). Getty Images

NASCAR leadership had its fair share of nastygrams exposed in court, too. Steve Phelps, the sanctioning body’s commissioner, argued that talks with teams had been abysmal. He added that charters “must reflect a middle position or we are dead in the water — they will sign them but we are f*cked moving forward.”

Adding to that, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell voiced his displeasure with an early charter proposal. He said it would have reverted NASCAR back to where it was in 1996, when the attitude was “f*ck the teams, dictatorship, motorsport, redneck, southern, tiny sport,” he wrote.

All this was capped off by a rare response to the media outside the courtroom on Thursday, in which Jordan said, “Look, I’ve been a fan of the game for a long period of time. When we first started this whole process, I’ve always said I want to fight for the betterment of the sport. Even though they tried to point out that we’ve made some money, we had a successful business. That’s not the point. The point is that the sport itself needs to continually change for the fans as well as for the teams. As well as for NASCAR, too, if they understand that.

“I feel like we made a good statement today about that, and I look forward to going down with fire. If I have to fight this to the end, for the betterment of the sport, I will do that.”

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