“Sounds like 23XI will shut down after Phoenix”: Fans react as NASCAR opposes injunction requested by Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team

Michael Jordan's NASCAR team, 23XI Racing, seemed to be in deep trouble as NASCAR had opposed the preliminary injunction filed by the 23XI and the Front Row Motorsports team. The teams have been in a legal battle with NASCAR for a long time now, with the core issue of the dispute being the sports charter system, which was introduced in 2016.

The sporting body has opposed the request of Michael Jordan's team on several fronts and has also indicated its desire to sell the charters of both teams as soon as possible. The body went on to say that the co-owner of the 23XI team, Michael Jordan, wants to use the litigation to grant him a permanent charter that no other team has in the sport, as reported by NASCAR Insider Jeff Gluck.

Jeff Gluck

@jeff_gluck

NASCAR late tonight has filed its response opposing the preliminary injunction requested by 23XI and Front Row (hearing is Aug. 28).​NASCAR opposes it on several fronts, including:​-- There's no irreparable harm to the teams because they're running as Open cars, no driver has left the team and there's no danger of them failing to qualify for a race.​-- The court can't force NASCAR to be in a business relationship with parties they don't want to​-- The teams can't show a likelihood of success on their claim NASCAR is a monopoly.​-- It would harm NASCAR if the court prevented NASCAR from selling the six 23XI/FRM charters to "many eager potential entrants" who want to buy them because those new teams need time to prepare for the 2026 season.​NASCAR goes on to say that Michael Jordan "wants to use the litigation to grant him a permanent Charter that no other Team has."​Steve Phelps in his declaration states that he has personally spoken to multiple parties who are eager to buy the teams' charters. Those people's names are all redacted, but they take up five lines of the page.​Phelps: "Unlike the Plaintiffs, many individuals and organizations, including the interested partiesreferenced above, view the 2025 Charters as a good investment and want to acquire them and work with NASCAR to further grow the Cup Series."

With this news of the teams losing their charters, fans have been quick to react to the situation, with many having different opinions.

Here are some fan reactions to the news:

Miguel Romero

@MGRQ_42

Well, sounds like 23X1 will shut down after Phoenix

"I mean I may be reading this wrong, but it really feels like 23XI and Front Row really doesn’t have much ground to stand on here?" one fan wrote.

"The more and more this goes on the more it looks bad for both sides." another fan wrote.

Here are some more reactions to the news:

Big Marv

@dirtymofan

If @NASCAR forces 23XI out and they lose their charters, I’m officially done.

"Phelps is such a scumbag. I am also not a fan of the Charter system," one fan wrote.

"NASCAR is really double dosing on this. This will not be good for nascar. They will be forced to sell tracks or the sanctioning body itself," another fan wrote.

NASCAR fights to sell Michael Jordan's racing cars

Michael Jordan's racing team, 23XI Racing, is fighting against NASCAR in a lawsuit alleging antitrust violations. The team secured the preliminary injunction earlier this year, which granted them the charter status enabling them to run this season, despite not signing the charter agreement.

The sporting body has also been fighting back, claiming that they should be allowed to sell the charters of the 23XI Racing team's cars, which are driven by Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.

The body's president, Steve Phelps, has even piled up pressure on the team owners, Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, by stating that multiple parties have shown their interest in buying these charters.

"Unlike the Plaintiffs, many individuals and organizations, including the interested parties referenced above, view the 2025 Charters as a good investment and want to acquire them and work with NASCAR to further grow the Cup Series." Steve Phelps said, via the Express.

This ongoing lawsuit has created turmoil within the NASCAR garage, and only time will tell if 23XI Racing and the Front Row Motorsports team will continue participating in the sport in the near future.