“They will regret for a long time”: Fans react as Michael Jordan nears losing his charters to NASCAR in high profile court case

Fans have reacted to the court ruling that may see Michael Jordan’s team, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports lose their charters in the 2025 season. The teams have 14 days to appeal against the ruling for further reconsideration.

On June 5, 2025, a three-judge panel from the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in favour of NASCAR, which overturned a previous injunction that had led 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to compete as chartered teams during the 2025 season. This is a significant setback for the teams in their ongoing battles regarding the franchise-like charter system in NASCAR.

The teams had originally argued in the case against NASCAR that a clause in the new charter agreement, which barred the teams from shining NASCAR, was anti-competitive, and losing charter status would cause more harm than good. The latest ruling found no legal precedent supporting the lower court decision that the “release clause” violated any antitrust law. This was reported on X by Bob Pockrass.

"23XI, Front Row could lose their charters later this month and race as open teams for rest of year after appeals court vacates injunction @NASCARONFOX"

NASCAR fans have reacted to the ruling that allows NASCAR to revoke their charters, which results in the teams having to compete as “open” teams for the rest of the season. This is a significant blow to the teams' finances and their ability to qualify for races.

Here's how fans reacted to the news on X:

"I guess this is the hill @NASCAR is willing to die on. Taking the charters from these 2 organizations will be PR that they will regret for a long time."

Tim Lemaster

@@Tim_Lemaster1

I guess this is the hill

@NASCAR

is willing to die on. Taking the charters from these 2 organizations will be PR that they will regret for a long time.

"At this point, I hope they lose this lawsuit so bad they the France family has to sell to keep from bankruptcy and then we might have a real racing series again," another fan had the same sentiment.

Collin Estes

@CollinRayEstes

At this point, I hope they lose this lawsuit so bad they the France family has to sell to keep from bankruptcy and then we might have a real racing series again.

"Sucks for them, but the courts have become more about protecting big businesses, other than actual law based rulings," a fan penned on X.

Some sat on the other side of the argument, complimenting the decision as "great news" for the sport.

"Great news. I hope those teams are forced to race as open teams- there should be consequences for their choice," a user penned.

"That's what they deserve!!!! Never poke the bear!!!!!!" another fan said.

The core antitrust lawsuit is still scheduled for a full hearing in December, so the broader legal battle is far from over.

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Michael Jordan-led 23XI Racing makes major announcement on multi-year deal

23XI Racing, the NASCAR team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, had announced a multi-year extension of its partnership with Upper Deck, a leading sports collectibles company in February. The renewed deal allowed Upper Deck to sponsor Corey Heim and Sam Hunt Racing at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Circuit of The Americas, as well as serve as the primary sponsor for Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

"The expanded multi-year collaboration will continue to highlight Upper Deck on-track with 23XI drivers and feature Upper Deck Authenticated memorabilia and race-used collectibles," 23XI Racing had announced on X.

Upper Deck, which first partnered with 23XI Racing last year, also offers fans access to exclusive memorabilia, such as race-worn gear and signed artwork, further strengthening the connection between the team and its supporters.