In recent times, NASCAR has been the target of widespread criticism, causing a stir in the racing community. Team owners have publicly blamed the sanctioning body for threatening to take away their charters if the final proposal wasn’t signed in early September. Being in the middle of an anti-trust lawsuit by some of the biggest names in the sporting world isn’t helping their image, either. The organization has been accused of using unlawful means to maintain a monopoly and being in breach of the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.

However, former NASCAR driver Mark Martin believes that the root of their problem lies elsewhere. The 65-year-old veteran took to social media to highlight the real problems plaguing the sanctioning body, that may be affecting its decision-making process.

Mark Martin preferred NASCAR’s autocratic approach

If it wasn’t for William France’s vision, NASCAR wouldn’t have existed as the sport we know and love today. In many ways, the stock car racing series engrained itself into American society by listening to its fans and adapting to the demands. The sport initially began with three distinct divisions, Modified, Strictly Stock, and Roadster, and while the first two categories generated fan interest, it quickly became evident that the Roadster category needed to be abandoned. That’s exactly what happened, as Bill France was the sole decision-maker for the sanctioning body and could make changes to the sport as and when he saw fit.

As the sport continued to grow, the organization evolved into a more complex structure. Believing that finding resolutions to ongoing problems is much more difficult in present-day NASCAR, Mark Martin said, “There’s also another problem that he didn’t mention that I’m going to mention, which is, that it’s run by a committee. All these committees. It was run by one man before and you can complain about it all you want but it was successful. I didn’t like a lot of the calls that were made but I like them better now when I look at it than I like the calls that are being made today. This committee run-in stuff, all it does is makes it like the government.”

The veteran racing driver went on to say, “Now you got the race team, you’ve got the drivers, you got the fan council, you got who knows what in NASCAR. You got all these people with all these different interests and I just wish it was one person. This is what it’s going to be, this is our ball game if you want to play, come play. That’s it. In some ways, I just think it would be better that way.”

Mark Martin’s view seems to have some merit. The veteran racer isn’t the only one who has blamed NASCAR for having a very bureaucratic approach in its decision-making process. Earlier this season, when Austin Dillon won the 2024 Cook Out Southern 500 at Richmond Raceway under controversial circumstances, it took the sanctioning body three days to reach a verdict and revoke the Richard Childress Racing driver’s playoff eligibility. Even though it was clear that the No. 3 Chevy intentionally wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the final lap, the number of processes that needed to be followed brought about a lot of uncertainty before the judgment was finally passed.

With 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports having filed a lawsuit against NASCAR, the sanctioning body is yet to respond to the allegations made against them. The charter agreement has been in discussion for two years, and one can’t help but feel that the process have been quicker if negotiations were held with one main authority. Would teams have felt that their grievances were heard if they didn’t have to deal with all the red tape that comes with the organization’s decision-making process? Perhaps. Then again, with Jim France at the helm, the circumstances could end up in the same way as well.

Michael Jordan confident about the lawsuit’s outcome

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If there was ever a man who could go head-to-head against NASCAR and emerge victorious, it’s Michael Jordan. The NBA Hall of Famer is co-owner of 23XI Racing, which has filed an anti-trust lawsuit alongside Front Row Motorsports in the federal court. While 13 teams have already agreed to the sanctioning body’s proposal, the remaining two have rebelled against NASCAR’s pressure, even if that might come at the expense of their charters.

Speaking ahead of the race at Talladega Superspeedway, Jordan said, “I wouldn’t have filed it if I didn’t think I could win. We want a fair deal, but this wasn’t fair. I didn’t just file it for me. It’s for everyone.” As things stand, NASCAR has not commented on the lawsuit or 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ refusal to sign the final charter proposal. Lead attorney Jeffrey Kessler is expected to file for a preliminary injunction on October 8th, which would allow both teams to compete in the 2025 season as per the terms of the new proposal despite not putting pen to paper.

With five races remaining before the Cup Series season ends, it will be an interesting few weeks for NASCAR fans both on and off the track. The NASCAR hierarchy is finding themselves in unfamiliar territory, having ruled the sport with an iron fist in the past. If found guilty, could the court’s verdict change the way the sport operates for the better? Will other teams benefit from 23XI and Front Row’s bold attempt at getting favorable terms in the charter agreement? While plenty of questions remain unanswered, the uncertainty will inevitably bring about a change in the sport. Whether it’s for the better or worse remains to be seen.