23XI-FRM court filing exposes NASCAR's secret 'Project Gold Codes' contingency plan to counter team boycott

With 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports battling NASCAR in the courtroom, details about the racing series' secret 'Project Gold Codes' plan for the SOPs that should be followed if it faces a team boycott were made public. It showcased the plans of NASCAR, ranging from using PR responses in the short term to possibly owning all the cars in the long run if the boycott continues for over a year.

The plaintiffs had dragged the championship body to the courtroom over the charter agreement promoting monopolistic tendencies in the racing realm. So far, this battle has raged on for about a year, and the lawsuit has witnessed multiple twists along the way.

However, the Project Gold Codes plan was revealed during the case's recent hearing. It revealed the intended actions that the series should take if the teams were to boycott events. At smaller scales, it focused on postponing the qualifying if the teams boycott practice sessions or end the event prematurely if teams were to protest.

It even mentioned how support series could take on the schedule of the Cup Series if such kind of a protest took place. It would then try to mediate with the existing charter holders with variations in the terms of the deal and the prize money being redistributed to open charters.

But, if this goes on, NASCAR could weigh the options of getting in new teams from other racing series, like IndyCar, IMSA, or from the Xfinity Series and other championships.

Nonetheless, if they cannot get hold of any teams, NASCAR also has a massive plan to build the infrastructure and ready up a 36-entry field that is entirely owned by itself to race in the series. With the document explaining how the racing body would only require 18 months to set up all the necessary apparatus in place, as Bob Pockrass revealed.

Though there is no imminent threat of a boycott for the championship body on the horizon, this contingency plan was made to get the Florida-based championship ready if their worst dream ever comes true.

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How is the courtroom battle between 23XI Racing, FRM, and NASCAR playing out?

Cup Series race at Bristol - Source: Imagn

The 23XI-FRM lawsuit against the championship body has had a variety of updates over the past few months. While the trial is set to be held on December 1, the Florida-based championship made a counterclaim in the court, asserting that the initial plaintiffs were at fault.

However, 23XI-FRM filed a motion to ask for a summary judgment to save the matter from going into trial and being interrupted with the original issue that is slated to be heard on December 1 (via On3):

"The Counter-Defendants have filed this motion for summary judgment against NASCAR’s amended counterclaim prior to the October 1 deadline for summary judgment motions, see Dkt. 84, and respectfully request that the Court consider it on an expedited schedule, so that the parties can prepare for the December 1 trial with confirmation as to whether NASCAR’s counterclaim will be part of the trial."

"If summary judgment is not granted against NASCAR’s amended counterclaim, Counterclaim-Defendants intend to file a motion under Rule 42 to bifurcate the counterclaim and have it considered at a separate trial sometime in 2026, because it is not possible to conduct a jury trial over two separate antitrust cases in ten trial days."

Thus, the current lawsuit is understood to face a myriad of twists and turns in the following months before the matter can be resolved for good.