23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin is in uncharted territory now that he’s involved in a legal dispute after suing NASCAR on anti-trust grounds. In his illustrious career as a race car driver, he’s often gotten along really well with everyone and didn’t need a legal intervention. However, as a team owner, he’s now bearing the responsibility to do the needful in getting a fair resolution against NASCAR.

If we are to trace Denny Hamlin’s last legal battle, we would have to go back to his childhood, when he was just 11 years old. The veteran himself shed light on this story when asked about his feelings about being involved in a court case and also shared how he’s dealing with the ups and downs of it, as the court denied his team’s appeal for the preliminary injunction.

Denny Hamlin isn’t used to being involved in a court case

The mere thought of being unable to roll out his race cars for the 2025 season is scary for Hamlin and his partner Michael Jordan. However, the consistent setbacks in the court have forced the co-owners at 23XI Racing to prepare for every potential outcome. The initial bouts between NASCAR and 23XI Racing clearly show that the team is somewhat in a tricky spot; meanwhile, the France family had a track record of dealing with such cases in the past.

Needless to say, these are testing times for Denny Hamlin and his team. And when the air got too tense at the press meet ahead of the Phoenix race, Hamlin lightened the mood up with a story of his only experience being in a courtroom when he was 11 years old. Back then, he was the one who was being sued after being hit by a lady’s car.

“Yeah, I mean, truthfully, I hadn’t been in a courtroom since I was maybe 11. I got sued; I was riding my bike as a kid, and a car hit me, and they ended up suing me.” The whole press room erupted in laughter as Hamlin shared this tale. “I know they lost; they lost; her brother owned a law firm,” he added. Needless to say, the veteran driver will have to get used to the court proceedings as they’ve got a long road ahead of them.

If the circumstances do not change, both 23XI Racing and FRM could lose control of their charters. Moreover, with the matter now in court, Hamlin feels nervous about the whole situation as his expertise can tilt the scale in his team’s favor.

Hamlin and 23XI are aware of the doomsday scenario

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Before the court proceeding began, the owners of both teams were outspoken about their commitment to the sport. Irrespective of the outcome of their request for a preliminary injunction, they were ready to run as unchartered teams in 2025. But, as the verdict came, moods quickly changed in the 23XI camp. Hamlin even confessed uncertainty about his team’s plans for Clash and the Daytona 500 races in 2025: “I think it’s all TBD.”

Denny Hamlin isn’t one of the drivers who made it to the top level and bid farewell to the sport. Tony Stewart, one of NASCAR’s superstars, is accused of distancing himself from NASCAR after SHR’s shutdown. But, instead, Hamlin decided to give back to the sport by starting his team, which has now made it to championship 4 in just four years. And this is why the very idea of his team being unable to race next year is heartbreaking for Hamlin.

“So it’s a nervous time for me, and we hope that this thing gets resolved in a peaceful manner or in the correct manner to fix it… I can’t rely on my instincts or things like that to change the outcome or the results. It’s just the facts are the facts. So I’ve never been a part of anything like this but certainly hate that we’re in this situation that we’re in after everything we’ve put into this sport over the last four years,” he added.

It is indeed too early to make any prediction or guess on which way the pendulum will swing next in this legal tussle. But for the time being, NASCAR does have their noses in front.