23XI Racing co-owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan are in a tricky spot, to say the least. They have refused to sign NASCAR’s final charter proposal, being one of only two teams who have opted not to do so, despite the potential repercussions that it may cause. With that said, Bubba Wallace’s new multi-year contract looks like the team remains committed to participating in the 2025 Cup Series season, irrespective of their charter status.

Speaking to the sponsor summit earlier this week, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver further reiterated 23XI Racing’s commitment towards the Cup Series to the team’s partners, irrespective of the circumstances surrounding the charter deal.

It’s no secret that Denny Hamlin has been frustrated with the way NASCAR has handled charter negotiations for the past two years. A statement released by 23XI Racing explained that the team chose not to sign the sanctioning body’s final proposal after not being allowed to “fairly bargain for a new charter contract.” NASCAR gave teams just six hours to sign the agreement ahead of the opening playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and while other teams obliged, Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing didn’t.

There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding 23XI Racing at the moment, as they run the risk of losing their charters after refusing to buckle under NASCAR’s pressure. Ever since the team refused to sign the sanctioning body’s proposal, there has been very little communication between the two parties and, as things stand, it appears that they have reached an impasse. The France family’s interests have not always aligned with what the NASCAR teams have wanted in the past and it seems like neither of them wants to compromise this time around.

According to Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass, 23XI Racing is interested in expanding their team to three full-time charters for the 2025 season. With Stewart-Haas Racing ceasing operations at the end of the 2024 season, Riley Herbst is touted as a possible candidate to join Denny Hamlin’s team. However, how could the ongoing charter situation affect 23XI’s goal of expanding its Cup Series roster? Hamlin had previously confessed that the team is unlikely to invest more money in NASCAR’s highest tier if an agreement with the sanctioning body wasn’t reached and that seems to be the case this time around.

NASCAR fans issue warning signs to 23XI Racing

It didn’t take long for fans to share their views about 23XI Racing’s reluctance to sign NASCAR’s final charter proposal. While many believe that the team, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, should simply give in and sign the agreement, one fan believes that it may not be an option for the team as of now. Writing on X, the fan said, “Lots of folks saying 23XI should just sign the agreement. I’m not sure NASCAR would let them at this point. 13 other teams signed it before the deadline. If NASCAR really wants to send a message, they won’t let them sign now. At least not without a very large monetary penalty.”

Another fan believes that Denny Hamlin needs to be realistic when it comes to understanding just how much NASCAR will be willing to compromise, especially now that the majority of Cup Series teams have already signed an agreement. Urging the racing veteran to reach an agreement, the fan wrote, “At some point, Denny is going have to realize he’s not going to get what he wants. Look, France family is definitely greedy in these whole charter shenanigans and I’m not defending them one bit, but I feel Denny himself should’ve expected that. Denny, stop beating a dead horse.”

A supporter couldn’t help but express a more cynical outlook toward the situation, claiming that the outcome of the ongoing disagreement would only favor the sanctioning body. Claiming that 23XI Racing has more to lose by rebelling against NASCAR, a fan wrote, “Just sign the charter and drive. You’re not going to get everything you want. Even Hendrick said it was the best deal they were going to get. In the end, he’s gonna lose. If they race minus charter they lose millions. Jordan is not going to do that.”

With uncertainty surrounding 23XI Racing, one fan believes that the decision to not sign NASCAR’s proposal could have significant financial repercussions for the team. They recently moved into a new facility called ‘Airspeed’ with significant investment going into the team’s new headquarters. On that note, a fan wrote, “Be rather embarrassing to just move into that brand new space-age facility and then layoff people.”

Another fan went on to say that the best way the sanctioning body can teach 23XI Racing a lesson is by stripping them of their charters to teach Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin a lesson. The X user wrote, “I wish NASCAR would take their charters and teach them to throw a temper tantrum.” While a situation like this is unrealistic, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility for the organization to have some form of repercussions for not signing the final charter proposal, however, the likelihood is that it will affect 23XI Racing financially.