Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing with long-time friend Michael Jordan, revealed that the NBA legend sent him a clip from the move ‘Moneyball’ this week after the lawsuit’s filing. It included this relevant line: “The first one through the wall always get bloody.”
The quote resonated with Hamlin, who spoke on the situation during a Saturday media availability: “In the end, it’s because you’re threatening the status quo and threatening people’s jobs and things like that. I hope it’s not seen that way, just seeing that this is certainly an opportunity for us to try to promote change in the sport that’s positive for everyone. And that’s teams, drivers, fans, everyone. I feel like, certainly on our end, that’s actually been good for me.
“This is not like just one day, we woke up and said ‘this is going to happen.’ This has been on the plate for a while. And certainly, from my standpoint, it’s provided more relief for me to put more focus on the No. 11 car and everything I have to do there since it’s out, done and now there’s other people out to speak on it, from the legality standpoint.”
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, The Big 615/MoneyLion Toyota Camry, Michael Jordan
Photo by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images
For those who haven’t been following this saga as closely as others, Hamlin has been an outspoken critic of the 2025 Charter Agreement even before his team refused to sign it following a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ deadline on September 6, as described in the lawsuit. 23XI and Front Row Motorsports (FRM) stood alone as the remaining 13 organizations with charters signed the deal. Nearly one month later, Hamlin is currently in the middle of the 2024 championship fight, but also in the midst of a lawsuit filed against NASCAR and CEO Jim France. The joint lawsuit representing both 23XI and FRM accuses the France family of using unlawful methods to become and maintain a monopoly, calling them “bullies” and alleging that they’ve breached the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.
Title battle and court battle
So how does Hamlin possibly remained focus on winning his first-ever NASCAR Cup title with this unprecedented legal fight unfolding in the background?
“I think it’s pretty simple,” said Hamlin. “Just need to prepare the best you can and do the best you can on Sunday. I think, you know, it’s more of a question for my team and I would ask them ‘has your driver never not been prepared? Has he never given 100%?’ Never … Certainly, there’s been some circumstances over time that I haven’t been able to control, but to not let those situations affect me. Certainly, this is a situation I can control and I give the team the proper preparation and make sure that when I get in the race car on Sunday, they know through my actions on the track that I’m 100% in it and focused.”
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, FedEx Toyota Camry
Photo by: John Harrelson / NKP / Motorsport Images
Hamlin asserted the he and Jordan ‘love’ the sport, noting how “we’ve obviously invested heavily in NASCAR and reinvested what I got out of this sport as a driver back into it as an owner. Certainly, we love the sport, just would love to see change as well.”
23XI’s investment not appreciated?
Despite all of that investment from the four-year-old race team, Hamlin wondered whether the powers that be appreciate the financial commitment from 23XI into the sport. When asked that question directly, he paused before offering a brief but telling reply: “Probably not.”
To learn more about the 43-page lawsuit, Motorsport.com broke it all down HERE. In a Sirius XM NASCAR interview, the suit’s lead attorney Jeffrey Kessler believes it will take one to two years before this case goes to trial. In the meantime, they will file a preliminary injunction that would allow 23XI and FRM to compete under the new agreement next year without having to agree to what they perceive as unfair terms. If this injunction fails, they will compete as ‘open’ teams in 2025. That would result in a significant loss of revenue and going into each race without ever being locked in.
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