It looks like the battle has now reached a deadlock. Almost three months old, the litigation pitting billionaire NBA icon Michael Jordan against Jim France’s multi-billion dollar enterprise of NASCAR has already produced a lot of beating and banging. Be it an aborted appeal that sought to protect the NBA legend’s future or fiery barbs over the impact of the Thanksgiving holiday on filing deadlines. However, the NASCAR lawsuit has reached a neutral level at present. Good news, right?

So, last week, Judge Kenneth D. Bell tilted the pendulum in favor of 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. After an open-team competition and a $45 million loss were on the table, now the teams can compete as chartered teams. And, with this, the sun is shining even brighter as NASCAR is willingly securing its future.

When Michael Jordan and Co. first filed the NASCAR lawsuit, they were extremely driven toward one objective. Both teams, [including FRM], wanted to prove that NASCAR violated U.S. antitrust law by imposing restrictive conditions on teams. However, the first obstacle they had to cross occupied most of their time for the past few months. As a result, NASCAR was not allowing them to run as chartered teams, and Jordan and Co. filed a preliminary injunction request to overturn that. The first motion was dismissed by Judge Frank Whitney, throwing up the possibility of monetary loss and Tyler Reddick’s contractual implications.

However, the NASCAR lawsuit has favored Michael Jordan and Co. in this aspect. With the courtroom protecting the plaintiffs’ sports careers, NASCAR has no choice but to tag along. The news was updated by Bob Pockrass on X, as he wrote, “Knowing the judge most likely would issue injunction when 23XI files request and NASCAR would appeal, NASCAR has agreed to an injunction for SHR charter transfer to 23XI and 23XI agreed it won’t use the fact NASCAR agreed to it as an argument when NASCAR appeals.”

Speaking of FRM, they already got the SHR charter approved as the injunction was filed in its name. Yet Jim France and Co. are also trying to accelerate the process for 23XI Racing.

Pockrass further posted, “This just speeds things along to go to U.S. Court of Appeals now rather than waiting for 23XI to ask for an injunction that NASCAR approve charter transfer from SHR, for NASCAR to have to reply and the judge to rule. NASCAR knows how judge would rule based on ruling yesterday.” 

Still, the procedure needs to be duly followed, as the judge’s approval will follow. Yet the NASCAR lawsuit is hardly likely to harm Jordan and Co. now, as Pockrass stated: “The district court judge has to formally OK this injunction request but I would be surprised if he rejected it.”

Despite these sunny prospects, Michael Jordan and Co. still have a tough battle ahead.

Turning to the harsher side?

The courtroom took Michael Jordan‘s side in securing the plaintiffs’ future. Now, however, the spotlight returns to the initial case—proving NASCAR’s ‘monopolistic bullying.’ But before taking a step forward in the NASCAR lawsuit, teams need to clear one hurdle.

Jim France and Co. had filed a motion in early December seeking to dismiss the lawsuit altogether. They called it a “misguided attempt to dress up private business frustrations in antitrust garb.” Now, the courtroom has set the ball rolling in hearing this motion, which might invalidate Michael Jordan and Co.’s fighting ethos altogether.

Judge Kenneth D. Bell set a hearing on January 8th to hear NASCAR’s motion, in the latest development of the case. He also set up other hearing deadlines.

• Bell set a Sept. 19, 2025, deadline for discovery.
• Then, a trial date of Dec. 1—after the completion of the next season—is also fixed. This should ring alarm bells for Jordan and Co., as now the France family may be more determined to put an end to the lawsuit.

They had argued in this motion that while grounded in far-reaching principles of justice and equity, the complaint “reflects nothing more than dissatisfaction with business negotiations that didn’t go their way.”

If this argument succeeds in moving the federal judge, then 23XI and FRM have a problem on their hands. Even so, let us wait and find out how it proceeds.