Sports stars who have tried entering NASCAR as team owners haven’t always found smooth sailing, and there have been some tales serving as cautionary whispers in the garage. In 1998, NFL Hall of Famer Dan Marino teamed up with NASCAR veteran Bill Elliott to form Elliott Marino Racing, fielding the No. 13 Ford in the Cup Series. Despite Marino’s star power and financial backing, the team stumbled out of the gate with sponsorship issues and inconsistent results, shutting down after just one year. It showed how fame alone couldn’t tackle the steep technical and financial hurdles in NASCAR’s top ranks.

Another NFL venture saw Dallas Cowboys legends Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach launch Hall of Fame Racing in 2006. Partnering with Joe Gibbs Racing for technical support, they saw a single top-5 finish with driver Tony Raines, but frequent driver swaps, ownership instability, and sponsor struggles took their toll. By 2009, the team merged into Yates Racing, ending the NFL duo’s independent NASCAR run, a reminder that even deep pockets and alliances don’t guarantee staying power.

In 2020, NBA legend Michael Jordan shook up the motorsports world by announcing his entry into NASCAR as a team co-owner, forming 23XI Racing alongside three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. The name blended Jordan’s iconic No. 23 jersey with Hamlin’s No. 11 car, hinting at a vision to mix business savvy with racing glory. With a promising start, now things aren’t looking good, and Harvick has not minced his words while talking about Jordan’s future in NASCAR.

Harvick paints a bleak picture for Jordan ahead in NASCAR.

In a recent episode of the Happy Hour Podcast, a fan mail question sparked some straight talk when someone asked, “Do you think Michael Jordan regrets joining NASCAR? 23XI has just 8 wins in 5 years, they’re suing NASCAR, and have spent millions of dollars. Do you think he’s still in it for the long haul?” Kevin was quick with the answer, not mincing any words.

He said, “Every time we hear him talk, yes and you know, I think that this is a you know, he’s been in some moments like this with the NBA players Association in the league in the past. But man, it sure seems like it’s not going the way that they thought it was going to go. As far as NASCAR is not the NBA, right? Like it’s just you’re, they’re fighting a different fight, and I don’t know how it’s going to work out for him this time. I think it’s affecting their teams the performance of their teams. I think it’s you know the all the you know where they are right now, being unchartered, losing their charters.”

Kevin Harvick’s assessment begins with a blunt reality. Michael Jordan’s NASCAR venture through 23XI Racing hasn’t unfolded as anticipated. While Jordan’s competitive nature is undeniable, having famously clashed with the NBA Players Association and league leadership during his basketball career, NASCAR presents a wholly different landscape. Since its founding in 2020, 23XI Racing has secured just eight Cup Series victories across five seasons, three with Bubba Wallace and five with co-owner Denny Hamlin when driving the 23XI-owned No. 45 car. These results fall short of the expectations typically attached to Jordan’s ventures.

As Harvick notes, 23XI now faces severe operational and financial uncertainty due to its ongoing legal battle with NASCAR over charter renewals. The organization, alongside Trackhouse Racing, filed a lawsuit against NASCAR in early 2025 after NASCAR declined to guarantee the renewal of their charters, contracts that essentially grant teams guaranteed entry and revenue. Harvick’s observation that NASCAR “is not the NBA” underscores the fundamental differences. Unlike the franchise model of the NBA, where ownership secures permanent equity, NASCAR charters are time-limited licenses subject to sanctioning body control, leaving Jordan’s investment less secure. With 23XI’s charters potentially lapsing after the 2025 season, Jordan faces the prospect of losing his team’s guaranteed spot in the field, a crisis that Harvick believes is already hurting the team’s on-track focus and results.

Harvick went on, “How do you get sponsorship? How do you keep your drivers? How do you keep your employees? I think that this has gone. I don’t think this is gone the way that they thought it was going to go, and now I think it becomes more challenging. The trial is in December, and you know we heard Denny comment on it this weekend about staying tuned. It’s all going to get exposed, or where this goes from here. But you know from a team standpoint, driver standpoint, sponsor standpoint, why do you even want to be in the middle of that until it’s over, right?”

Harvick continues by highlighting the operational risks now confronting 23XI. Without a guaranteed charter, the team’s ability to retain sponsors, drivers, and personnel faces real pressure. In NASCAR’s economic model, sponsors fund the majority of team operations, and uncertainty over 23XI’s long-term status makes sponsorship renewals harder to secure. High-profile backers could hesitate to re-sign amid legal disputes and media coverage framing the team’s future as unstable. Driver retention is also critical, with 23XI needing to compete harder to retain manufacturer attention and talent.  The legal battle affects recruitment of engineers and pit crew personnel, who may seek more stable environments at powerhouse teams.

Harvick wrapped up, “Everybody wants to be in the middle of something that Michael Jordan’s doing. You want to have cars that are winning to put your name on the side, which is where they were last year and not this year. Denny’s obviously in the middle of it, winning in it in a Joe Gibbs car, and he can. He’s balancing all that, but I think the team dynamic has become very difficult. So I don’t know how frustrated Michael gets. But everything that we’ve heard him say is that he’s. He’s in it for the long haul. We’ll find out.”

Harvick concludes by pointing out that while Michael Jordan’s name carries immense brand appeal, even his presence can’t mask performance issues. In 2024, 23XI achieved its most competitive season yet, raising sponsor visibility and fan engagement, but in 2025, the team’s form has dipped. Hamlin’s ability to win in his Joe Gibbs Racing entries highlights a growing contrast, while 23XI battles off-track distractions.

Hamlin gives blanket answer about his ongoing lawsuit.

When asked about the potential for drivers to leave 23XI Racing after losing charter status earlier this week at Dover, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin gave a blanket statement, clarifying that all would be revealed on Dec. 1. “All I can tell you, and this will just be my blanket answer for all questions about this [the lawsuit], is that if you want answers you wanna understand why this is all happening, come Dec. 1, you will get the answers you’re looking for, and all will be exposed,” Hamlin said.

Dec. 1 is not a random date, as that is the start date of the trial for the antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports on Oct. 2, 2024. This past week and month have been especially tough for the two teams as they lost charter status for at least the next two races, if not the rest of the season or future. When the two teams filed their lawsuit, they motioned for a preliminary injunction to compete as chartered teams in 2025 as they did not sign the 2025 NASCAR Charter Agreement last fall.

Though they were initially granted their injunction the second time around, the courts overruled this on Jun. 5. The teams have motioned for another preliminary injunction to regain charter status; however, the court has already denied a temporary restraining order on Thursday. The timeline linked below covers this lawsuit extensively.