The 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR has been a garage-area earthquake, shaking up the sport’s power structure. Filed in late 2024 by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI alongside Bob Jenkins’ Front Row, it blasts the charter system as monopolistic, locking out competition and skimping on revenue shares.

A preliminary injunction let them race as chartered teams in 2025, but the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals flipped it, siding with NASCAR and yanking their guaranteed spots. NASCAR fired back with a countersuit, accusing the teams of cartel-like moves, like boycotting broadcast deals and stirring trouble. The December 1, 2025, trial could rewrite charters, purses, and how NASCAR runs, leaving the sport’s future hanging by a thread.

Kenny Wallace, a NASCAR vet with 25 years on the track, spilled the tea on Coffee with Kenny on X, saying the other owners are sweating bullets.

Kenny Wallace makes other owners’ stance known

“All hell broke loose. I opened my phone after watching dirt racing, and I was like ‘What in the world is going on?’ Looks like all the NASCAR car owners are nervous because they think NASCAR could lose this lawsuit, if you remember, Michael Jordan’s 23XI and Front Row Motorsports,” he said. The suit has got owners spooked, fearing a loss could upend the $7.7 billion media deal and charter values at $35-40 million each.

“The real lawsuit starts December 1st. 23XI, Michael Jordan, and Denny Hamlin are suing NASCAR for monopolistic practices. If they win, NASCAR might have to treat teams differently and distribute more fairly. That’s what the lawsuit is really about,” Wallace added.

23XI and Front Row argue the charters favor the big dogs like Hendrick and JGR, squeezing smaller outfits on entry fees and revenue. A win could force fairer splits, but owners like Roger Penske are pushing back.

Penske, per Wallace, defended the Next Gen car: “Roger Penske said the Next Gen car is running good and saving us money. Team owners pushed for this car. It’s awesome, needs fewer employees, and reduces the number of cars we need.”

The 2022 Next Gen cut costs by 30 percent for mid-tier teams, with spec parts like chassis and wheels leveling the field. Owners backed it to keep budgets in check, but the suit claims it is part of NASCAR’s control grip.

“Penske said racing has been great, but owners don’t want to go to court. They want this to end because prolonged litigation could devalue NASCAR, and it would not be good,” Wallace said.

The countersuit labels 23XI and Front Row’s moves as anti-competitive, like trying to tank broadcast deals. With the trial looming, owners are jittery. Charters’ $40 million value could tank if the system crumbles, hitting everyone from Stewart-Haas remnants to newbies like Trackhouse.

Logano-Chastain rivalry heats up

Wallace’s owner jitters tie to the playoff pressure cooker, where on-track beefs like Joey Logano and Ross Chastain’s could explode at Charlotte’s Roval on October 5. Just 13 points separate them, Logano at 3,083 and Chastain at 3,070, making the elimination race a knife fight.

Logano’s 21st at Kansas, tangled in a late wreck, locked him in the scrap with Chastain’s 11th. Chastain, chasing Chase Briscoe, who is 21 points ahead, now shifts to Logano, his Round of 12 foe.

Their beef started at July’s Chicago Street Course. After Lap 64, Chastain bumped Logano into Ricky Stenhouse Jr., spinning them both. Logano raged on the radio, confronting Chastain post-race and demanding that NASCAR punish him for admitting intent. It wasn’t their first tango.

March’s Martinsville saw Logano gripe about Chastain’s restart blocks. Chastain’s “Hail Melon” reputation makes him a wild card, and Logano is no pushover, a three-time champ who races like it is personal. With the ROVAL’s twists and playoff stakes, their tension could boil over, turning the elimination race into a grudge match fans won’t forget.