Charlotte Hornets fans finally broke their eight-game losing streak against the Indiana Pacers. However, they were without their star guard LaMelo Ball, who had been sidelined due to injury. Now with Ball expected to miss at least two weeks of games, he needed to find something that would keep him sharp off the court. But no one expected him to participate in the pit stop challenge and visit the 23XI Racing race shop “Air Speed.”

Have a look for yourself at how Ball and other Hornet players enjoyed their time at the new racing facility that is home to three drivers from 23XI.

Michael Jordan’s former team reunites with him at his new racing home

We all know that Michael Jordan was associated with the team Charlotte Hornets as an investor and owner before joining NASCAR and 23XI Racing. This certainly made Hornet player’s visit to Air Speed, Michael Jordan and Hamlin’s $16 million investment, an easy one. Brandon Miller, Seth Curry, and Taj Gibson also visited Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s new race shop. The 23XI Racing team shared videos of Hornet players trying their best to nail the tire-changing exercise. “Brought some special guests to AirSpeed,” the team shared this via the Instagram stories.

Meanwhile, they also shared some snapshots of the NBA player’s visit on X with a caption, “Brought some special guests to pit practice. 😏🏀@NASCAR | @hornets | @NBA.” It was only last year that Michael Jordan completely parted ways with the NBA team that he was a part of since 2006. Glab Plotkin and Rick Snall took over the ownership of the team after Jordan settled on the sale of the team that is estimated to be around $3 billion.

Well, the timing of the sale and the construction of AirSpeed did make sense as the NBA legend was looking to expand his team in NASCAR. After working out from a makeshift headquarters, Jordan and his partner Denny Hamlin decided to construct a new home, and the idea of AirSpeed was born. The 114,000-square-foot building is more than just a race shop, and Hamlin perfectly described the new facility as the “Google of race shops.”

A futuristic take on the traditional garage and an office that was inspired by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team. The hospital white floors blend in perfectly with the red roof and white lights. Well, Michael Jordan’s spending spree wasn’t just limited to the new facility; he also went on to add the third charter ahead of the 2025 season. They got hold of this third charter from the now-defunct Stewart Haas Racing for $25-30 million.

But there’s a big problem. The 23XI Racing team hasn’t signed the charter agreement and instead has taken NASCAR to court. They have filled an antitrust case against the France family and NASCAR, labeling them as monopolistic bullies. But given the current circumstances, there’s a possibility that 23XI Racing might lose all their charters and could be running as open entries with their three cars in 2025.

What’s the latest on the 23XI Racing vs. NASCAR lawsuit?

For the time being, the two teams, 23XI and FRM, are trying to retain their charter status with a preliminary injunction. Despite being denied their initial plea, the two teams refiled the motion with the argument that they would incur irreparable harm if they do not have the injunction. As running an open car would result in financial losses and the possibility of drivers leaving the team ahead of the next season.

But NASCAR isn’t sold on these claims and has retaliated ferociously against the two teams in their filing. NASCAR states that the teams have failed again failed to show harm. They argued that the lawsuit is only being pursued to gain more favorable conditions. “Even with their manufactured evidence, Pantiffs still fall far short of a clear showing of irreparable harm. Their new submissions underscore that any claimed harm remains speculative, self-inflicted, and redressable with monetary damages.”

In short, stating that the two teams can be compensated with monetary damages if there are any, without the need of providing the teams with chartered status through an injunction. For the time being, there’s no confirmation on when the court hearing will be, but it certainly will be crucial for Michael Jordan and his team’s survival in NASCAR.