NASCAR Lawsuit: Michael Jordan and Co. Slam Counterclaim as They Expose Flaws in Driver Ambassador Program

“It’s cool to see it all work out and be executed for the first time,” said Joey Logano, sharing his thoughts about the Driver Ambassador Program. For those unfamiliar with the DAP, it’s a new initiative by NASCAR that is specifically designed to reward drivers for promoting the sport off the track. It allows drivers to earn points for promotional or ambassador activities beyond the mandatory obligations, allowing racers to earn money by representing the sport off the track.

But not every team is happy with this initiative. According to a prominent NASCAR insider, some teams exposed flaws with the Driver Ambassador Program, claiming it interferes with their relationship with the racers because of the direct payout from the sports’ hierarchy. Well, if there are ever any teams vying against NASCAR, it’s 23XI and Front Row Motorsports, and they’re back at the center of attention yet again, linking the DAP to the NASCAR lawsuit.

Teams unhappy with NASCAR’s influence on drivers

The Driver Ambassador Program raised plenty of eyebrows when it was first announced by NASCAR. It was designed to improve the sports’ visibility, allowing drivers to directly participate in fan and sponsorship engagement activities such as media interviews, autograph signings, charity work, etc. Some felt it undermined the power teams had, as the sanctioning body would directly pay the drivers for their contributions, through a star-power tier system.

Recently reigning champ Joey Logano won a $1 million bonus for ranking first among Cup drivers in NASCAR’s new Driver Ambassador Program. But in a recent post on X, FOX’s Bob Pockrass revealed that even the NASCAR lawsuit is dipping its toes in the DAP issue. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have filed a response to NASCAR’s counterclaim that barred them from running as chartered teams. Now, the teams feel they can extract some more leverage from the alleged issues with the DAP.

Bob Pockrass posted, “23XI/FRM/Curtis Polk have filed answer to NASCAR’s amended counterclaim. Mostly same arguments. One nugget — some teams believe Driver Ambassador Program, where NASCAR pays drivers directly based on how many/what appearances they do, interferes with team relationships w/drivers.”

It’s a valid concern for NASCAR teams, especially the two teams fighting in court against the sport’s monopolistic practices. Given the money at stake, one can speculate that drivers are more incentivized to make appearances for the sanctioning body instead of their team sponsor appearances, undermining their existing contracts and their employers. With Logano getting a seven-figure payout in the first term that concluded at Pocono Raceway, other drivers could look at what’s on the line and readjust their priorities for the second term.

Which is probably why Kyle Larson quadrupled the number of media interviews compared to last year. In a candid interview, ‘Yung Money’ admitted, “I think we math-ed it out where I did like 220 hours of stuff. I bet last year to this point, (we did) 50 hours. It’s good to be compensated for it, and also you feel like we are actually doing something good for the sport.” But despite his best efforts, the Hendrick Motorsports driver ended up in 2nd place in the Driver Ambassador Program, behind Joey Logano.

Meanwhile, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin has admitted that the DAP does not award him for his contributions via his Actions Detrimental podcast. The weekly show recaps every race, with Hamlin occasionally bringing guests like Kyle Busch, with whom he spoke about the DAP. Hamlin said in May 2025, “Just so you know, you [Kyle Busch] get full credit for coming here. I get four points in total. It’s bad.” Busch was perplexed, and pointed out how Joey Logano gets full points for his SiriusXM appearances every week, saying, “Logano gets all his points though for his stuff every week, right?” Hamlin sarcastically replied, “If you have 100,000 listeners, apparently, it doesn’t do much for the sport each and every week.”

Clearly, Hamlin believes that the DAP requires some fixing, and seems to have taken matters into his own hands as an owner. And his battle against NASCAR in the courtroom is heating up.

NASCAR lawsuit sees a dramatic twist

In a shocking turn of events, NASCAR has updated its rulebook with Rule 5.1.F and Rule 7.9.1.1. As per the new provisions, the sanctioning body has the discretion to cap race entry at 40 cars and reserve open spots for teams based on the owner points. The update will ensure 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will be almost guaranteed entries for all the Cup Series races, despite running in the open category after losing their charters amid the NASCAR lawsuit.

On that note, FOX’s Bob Pockrass wrote on X, “Because 23XI/Front Row argue irreparable harm if they aren’t guaranteed a spot in the race…, this makes that part of the argument moot. Will be interesting to see if 23XI/FRM continue to seek preliminary injunction.” As things stand, both teams have filed a response to NASCAR’s amended counterclaim, although it hasn’t become public.

As for the Driver Ambassador Program, there might be a concern amongst teams that the initiative is creating a direct channel between the racers and NASCAR, that is weakening the teams’ leverage and undermining their authority. The payouts could also influence driver loyalty in the larger charter battle, which could benefit the sanctioning body in the long run. Could the DAP be a strategic move by the sport’s hierarchy to get things their way? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!