NASCAR team investors and executives have reportedly stated that their charter values have already gone up extensively since Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s $365 million antitrust lawsuit was settled this week.

On Thursday, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports received a substantial financial boost after NASCAR settled its antitrust lawsuit on Day 9 of the trial. The two Cup Series teams launched the lawsuit against the sanctioning body in October of last year.

A year of legal back-and-forth ensued until the case ended up at trial in a North Carolina courthouse, with 23XI Racing owners Jordan and Hamlin in attendance as they fought and potentially risked losing millions – along with their place in the sport.

But in a surprise move, a settlement was reached on Thursday – before NASCAR had given it’s defense. Elements of the settlement agreement immediately came to light, with NASCAR teams getting permanent “evergreen charters.” 

Since then, some industry execetuvies believe their charter may even double from around $45 million to even get close to the $90 million mark – with Jordan and Hamlin’s legal win aiding this.

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Sports Business Journal contacted several teams who were asked about the charter price will rise, with some teams even suggesting that it could double.

In the post-court briefing after the settlement, the charters were discussed and agreed to remain ‘evergreen’ – being in place for the long-term so that their value will continue to rise.

Permanent charters also create a more reliable environment for sponsorship, whereas deals in NASCAR are often more short-term – perhaps making life difficult for brand to commit to deals that they perhaps would like to.

Jordan and Hamlin were both seen smiling as they left court on Thursday, knowing that they had scored a huge win over NASCAR.

Tony Stewart relished the opportunity to compete against Chase Elliott and his father, Bill, in the Camping World SRX Series before NASCAR top brass expressed concern about letting their biggest stars compete in the series.

During this week’s NASCAR antitrust trial, newly surfaced text messages shed light on the sanctioning body’s disdain for the SRX Series — a startup stock car racing circuit founded by Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham in July 2020.

In a series of message chains, NASCAR executives criticized drivers and team owners for participating in the SRX Series — particularly signaling out Elliott, who piloted the stylized No. 9 in the rival series. In response to one redacted sender who wrote, “Oh great, another owner racing in SRX,” NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell replied: “This is NASCAR. Pure and simple. Enough. We need legal to take a shot at this.”

NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps expressed a similar sentiment, chiming in: “These guys are just plain stupid. Need to put a knife in this trash series.”

Even without the support of NASCAR, Elliott competed in the SRX Series on multiple occasions — most notably emerging victorious in the 2021 season finale at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. The Cup Series driver crossed the finish line a mere .439 of a second before Stewart after fending off multiple challenges from his dad throughout the 77-lap race.

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“I had a ball. I got to race against two of my heroes,” Elliott said at the time. “I got to race against Dad there throughout the race and those are moments I will cherish forever. Just super thankful to be here.”

Despite settling for a second-place finish, Stewart was still all smiles following his tight battle against two members of the Elliott family. “How could you ask for more than to finish between two Elliotts?” Stewart said. “That’s pretty bada— in itself, and we really appreciate NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports for letting Chase come run with us. It means a lot to us, it means a lot to Bill.”

With just over 20 laps remaining in the race, Elliott and Bill exchanged the lead three separate times while racing door-to-door. “I don’t know who lit a fire under him,” the younger Elliott said of his dad.

“I had not seen that in him in years. It was amazing and a lot of fun. I thought it was going to be between he and I. I think he just got a little high into one and missed that restart. Other than that, it was so much fun.”

On Lap 55, Elliott finally sped past Bill to claim the lead position for good. “Man, I tell you what, it was a lot of fun,” Bill said. “I knew the way the tires were on these cars and the way Chase manages his stuff, he was going to be hard to beat. I know he didn’t have the best car, but he knows how to get it to the end.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Winning a sports car racing endurance championship in its series debut season is a rare achievement for any racing team.

Winning two first-year endurance titles at the same time is almost unheard of, but that’s exactly what Pierce Marshall, his longtime coach and co-driver Eric Foss and Matador Motorsports accomplished in Historic Sportscar Racing competition.

“To be blunt, the only time I’m on track is a race weekend with HSR,” Marshall said. “My work schedule just doesn’t allow anything else. So, my approach to this whole thing is to get as much track time as I can at these events, and that’s the way to do it. I do the Michelin Prototype Challenge at every event, as well as run the Mission HSR Classics when they’ve got them. For me, racing is one of those things where I love my hobby, and I’m blessed to be in the position where I have my own race shop and that I can have a car like this.”

Driving the 2017 No. 02 Matador Motorsports Cadillac Dallara DPi, Marshall and Foss won both the HSR Classic Endurance Championship presented by Mission Foods Modern Prototype/Sports Racer championship as well as the season-long endurance title in the top-tier P1 class that was added to the HSR Prototype Challenge presented by Michelin championship this year.

“I would not have had these championships without Eric Foss, who has been with me since I first started racing,” Marshall said. “His coaching and driving have brought me to where I am, and obviously Dan Binks and Binks Motorsports prepare an incredible car for us. The reason I think we consistently had such good performance is that the car was great right off the trailer. There is just no substitute for that. We were able to just get in and go fast right from the very beginning without chasing anything, and that’s honestly key.”

Matador’s season highlight was undoubtedly the HSR Classic Endurance Championship by Mission Foods in which Marshall, Foss and the No. 02 Matador team won two of the year’s four races. In an “odd” occurrence, the team won the opening Round 1 of the season at the HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour presented by Mission Foods in March and took its second win in Round 3 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in September at the inaugural HSR Classic Road Atlanta 10 Hour presented by Mission Foods.

The victories were backed up by a second-place finish at the HSR Classic Watkins Glen 6 Hour presented by Mission Foods and a third-place showing at the season-ending HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour presented by Mission Foods, which was enough to secure the 2025 title.

Marshall and Foss have been a winning partnership for more than a decade.

“I was fortunate enough to meet Pierce at the end of 2012, so 13 years ago almost to the day probably, and we started working together,” Foss said. He didn’t have much racing experience back then, but I had a lot of GT experience, and over the years we have really progressed through his race craft.

“When we got to the Prototype stuff I told him, ‘You know, I have no experience in these types of cars,’ but he put a lot of faith in me and said, ‘well, we will learn this together.’ So, it’s been an awesome journey of his learning through me, and me also learning the cars themselves. It just makes it a lot of fun and I’m very grateful how he puts as much faith and trust in me as he does. In return, he is always a pleasure to coach and is really, really honing his race craft and his improvement, especially over the last few years. It has been pretty awesome.”

Marshall, Foss and the No. 02 Matador squad were the only team in the HSR Classic Endurance Modern Prototype division to finish on the podium in every race this year.

“It’s great that HSR and Mission Foods and Juan Gonzalez came up with this concept to make a championship out of these HSR Classic endurance races,” Marshall said. “I would argue they are the toughest ones to win, especially consistently.”

What’s Happening?

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ antitrust lawsuit filed against NASCAR over a year ago, and while the lead-up to the trial had plenty of revelations, the nine-day trial also had its fair share of breaking news. Here are five unforgettable things we learned from the 23XI/FRM and NASCAR antitrust trial.

Denny Hamlin Claims NASCAR Killed Germain Racing

On day one of the trial, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin came out swinging right out of the gate, accusing NASCAR of being the reason that Germain Racing, which operated a Cup Series team from 2009 to 2020, went out of business.

Hamlin alleged that NASCAR, as part of its Premier Partners program, which the sport introduced in 2020 to replace its then-departed title sponsor Monster Energy, brought on GEICO, taking the long-time sponsor partner away from Germain.

Denny Hamlin Asked Michael Jordan to Find a Buyer for His Portion of 23XI

During his cross-examination of Hamlin, NASCAR’s lawyer asked Denny Hamlin about a text message he sent to 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan. In this text from 2023, Hamlin asked Jordan to find a buyer for his portion of 23XI.

While Hamlin did not, and has not, sold any portion of 23XI, the owner/driver claims this during a period of frustration and needed to get the attention of his business partners. Hamlin also says he and his fellow co-owners resolved this issue in a meeting at Jordan’s golf course, The Grove XXIII.

Furniture Row Racing Won a Title, and It Cost Them Everything

Every NASCAR fan knows the tragic story of Furniture Row Racing, which, after winning the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Championship, closed its operation at the end of the 2018 season. Prior to this lawsuit, it was widely known, but unconfirmed by the sport or parties involved, that their closure was for financial reasons related to an increased alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Shockingly, during this trial, NASCAR’s legal team accused JGR of being the reason FRR closed its door, with attorney Lawrence Buterman alleging the team doubled the price of the partnership after their title win on Monday. Even more shocking was the testimony of NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps, who claimed that JGR didn’t just double the price, but tripled it from roughly $3 million to $10 million.

Richard Childress Was Looking to Sell Part of RCR in 2025

Though many were excited for Richard Childress to take the witness stand, the resulting testimony and examination did not mention the hot-button issue of comments made by NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps in text messages unsealed by the courts.

But that doesn’t mean his time in the courtroom wasn’t without fireworks, as the court revealed that Childress only owns 60% of RCR and that NASCAR was aware of a group led by former driver Bobby Hillin Jr., who had attempted to buy RCR.

This questioning led to an “animated” response from Childress, who said that the deal had fallen through and was confused how NASCAR had known this due to an NDA he had Hillin and members of the interested party sign prior to negotiations.

Hendrick Motorsports Lost Millions in the Early 2020s

During the examination of NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports lawyer Jeffery Kessler read a letter sent by team owner Rick Hendrick to France in early 2024.

In this letter, Hendrick asked France to consider “a Charter agreement that’s fair and ensures a collaborative and prosperous structure for NASCAR, its stakeholders and the industry as a whole.“

Hendrick also made two specific claims in his letter.

First, he claimed that NASCAR had told teams, “bring no value, our rights are worthless, and we don’t know how to run a viable business.” Second, he claimed that despite success on track, including two Championships, the team had lost tens of millions of dollars over the prior five seasons.

While Hendrick’s in-profitability, like several other revelations in the trial, was no secret, the fact that one of the sport’s most successful and perhaps most popular teams lost $20 million over five seasons astounded the NASCAR fan base.

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A 23-day festival of adventure and entertainment

Opening with the UAE Falcons Aerobatic Team

Liwa Village: The festival hub

New Year’s Eve celebration

Celebrating Emirati heritage

Abdullah Rashid Al Hammadi  is an accomplished Emirati journalist with over 45 years of experience in both Arabic and English media. He currently serves as the Abu Dhabi Bureau Chief fo Gulf News.

Al Hammadi began his career in 1980 with Al Ittihad newspaper, where he rose through the ranks to hold key editorial positions, including Head of International News, Director of the Research Center, and Acting Managing Editor.

A founding member of the UAE Journalists Association and a former board member, he is also affiliated with the General Federation of Arab Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists. Al Hammadi studied Information Systems Technology at the University of Virginia and completed journalism training with Reuters in Cairo and London.

During his time in Washington, D.C., he reported for Alittihad  and became a member of the National Press Club. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote the widely read Dababees column, known for its critical take on social issues.

Throughout his career, Al Hammadi has conducted high-profile interviews with prominent leaders including UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and key Arab figures such as the late Yasser Arafat and former presidents of Yemen and Egypt.

He has reported on major historical events such as the Iran-Iraq war, the liberation of Kuwait, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. His work continues to shape and influence journalism in the UAE and the wider Arab world.

The second round of the 2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series at Sepang International Circuit delivered another dramatic four-hour endurance battle on Sunday, December 14, heavily influenced by unpredictable Malaysian weather. After claiming victory in Saturday’s opener, Cetilar Racing’s #47 Oreca 07-Gibson crew of Roberto Lacorte, Charles Milesi, and Antonio Fuoco dominated proceedings to secure a weekend double, finishing ahead of the field when the race was red-flagged with approximately 20 minutes remaining due to torrential rain flooding the track.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The race featured multiple interruptions, including three periods behind the Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car and two full-course yellows, as teams grappled with shifting conditions and tire strategy. Competitors were circulating on slick tires behind the Safety Car following an earlier incident when the heaviest downpour hit, rendering the circuit undriveable and prompting race control to halt proceedings prematurely.

Cetilar Racing controlled much of the race after taking the lead in the second hour. A key moment came when Antonio Fuoco overtook Tom Dillmann in the #25 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca on a restart, pulling away to build a comfortable margin—eventually over 30 seconds—before the red flag sealed their second win in as many days. Algarve Pro Racing held on for second, with the #4 Crowdstrike Racing by APR Oreca completing an identical LMP2 podium to Race 1.

LMP3: CLX Motorsport Gambles to Victory

In the LMP3 class, a bold strategy propelled CLX Motorsport’s #17 Ligier JS P325 to the top step. Driver Paul Lanchere—fresh off his European Le Mans Series title success—served the two mandatory 100-second pit stops during an early Virtual Safety Car period, a calculated risk that paid dividends as conditions evolved. The Swiss outfit capitalized to claim victory, with Lanchere sharing the podium with teammates Kevin Rabin and Alexander Jacoby.

The #71 23Events Racing Ligier finished second, ahead of the #29 Forestier Racing by VPS entry in third, rounding out a competitive class battle in the debut season for the new-generation LMP3 machinery.

GT: Kessel Racing Masters Conditions for Win

Kessel Racing secured maximum points in the hotly contested GT class, overcoming a grid penalty to triumph with their Ferrari 296 GT3. Dustin Scott Blattner made rapid early progress, climbing from 15th to third in the opening laps, before astute tire calls allowed Chris Lulham and Dennis Marschall to surge into the lead and stay there amid the chaos.

The #69 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 delivered a strong recovery after an overnight engine change addressed power issues from Race 1, with Tony McIntosh, Parker Thompson, and Dan Harper taking second. Third went to the #87 Origine Motorsport Porsche, where Bo Yuan impressed with blistering pace during a long stint, charging from 14th and briefly challenging for the lead.

The Asian Le Mans Series now heads to the United Arab Emirates for the next double-header, with the 4 Hours of Dubai scheduled for January 31 and February 1, 2026.

Sepang Race 2 Results

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