It has been over two months since the NASCAR lawsuit was settled. Michael Jordan gleaned the best deal out of the agreement after the trial exposed a lot of ‘monopolistic’ evidence against the sport. But wait, Jordan was not the only team owner in this fight. 23XI Racing had Front Row Motorsports by its side, which had also refused to sign the charter deal back in 2024. And FRM’s team owner reveals just how much of his life’s work was at stake.

A bold risk in the face of obliteration

“People thought Michael Jordan was bankrolling this — no, no, no. I had to pay my half,” Bob Jenkins told The Associated Press. The Front Row Motorsports owner split the fees of the NASCAR lawsuit equally with 23XI Racing. Both teams sought US$365 million in damages from the sport.

Even though there was a risk of losing the lawsuit and his charters, Jenkins was motivated. “I was OK with that,” Jenkins continued. “It would have hurt, I risked losing three charters myself, but I would have been OK. I just felt that strongly that we had a winning case that I could risk it.”

In December 2025, the settlement that was reached on the ninth day of the NASCAR lawsuit trial made the charters evergreen, the equivalent of a franchise in other sports. That alone doubled their value overnight to nearly $100 million each. But the what-if situation looked different for the team owners. For six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan, racing is just his retirement hobby. But for Jenkins, it is a lifetime’s worth of effort.

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During the proceedings of the NASCAR lawsuit, Bob Jenkins’ dire economic status came to light. He had never turned a profit since launching his NASCAR team in the early 2000’s. He lost $100 million even while winning the Daytona 500 with Michael McDowell in 2021. Despite such glaring financial woes, Jenkins chose to fight against NASCAR’s draining charter model.

And when Jenkins emerged victorious alongside Michael Jordan, he felt a wave of much-needed satisfaction. “Personally, it’s very gratifying because it could have went the other way, and this sounds cliché, but when something needs to be said, you’ve got to find a way to say it,” Jenkins said. “We did that, and it just makes me feel good that we took a stand.”

The settlement gave FRM stability and relief to team employees who had worried their jobs might cease to exist. Also, it meant that Bob Jenkins’ team, which was bleeding money, was now secure to be passed down to his four sons.

With a bright future ahead, both Jenkins and Michael Jordan can pursue their goals. And the latter’s minute efforts are what enthralled one of his drivers.

Hailing the legend’s involvement

Michael Jordan and Bob Jenkins scored a historic victory in December 2025. And as soon as 2026 started, both kept up the winning spree. Jenkins’ NASCAR Craftsman Truck driver, Chandler Smith, won the Fresh From Florida 150. And Jordan’s 23XI Racing driver, Tyler Reddick, took home the prestigious Daytona 500 victory. Jordan’s presence in Victory Lane was a heartwarming sight for many, including Corey Heim.

The 2025 Truck Series champion was driving the No. 67 23XI Toyota, and revealed how engaged the NBA legend was in his own journey. “After pretty much every Truck win last year, he reached out to me with congratulations,” Corey Heim said. “And every time I ran good, bad, or indifferent in a Cup car, he’d reach out and share some words. I always thought that was motivating to have an owner, but also an owner that’s very involved and motivated.”

Despite Michael Jordan’s hallowed status, he keeps his feet on the ground. “Think everyone knows he’s probably a busy guy, but seems like he always makes time to pay attention and stay in the loop with the 23XI side of things,” Heim said.

Such legendary efforts ultimately lead to the biggest victories, as we have seen. We cannot wait to see what Jenkins and Jordan have in store for us next!