In a Friday night legal filing, the latest development in the 23XI and Front Row Motorsport v. NASCAR antitrust dispute, the two teams are asking the court to issue a ‘summary judgment on the countersuit by the Sanctioning Body or make it a separate case and trial.
NASCAR filed a counterclaim against the two teams in March with allegations of anticompetitive behavior in violation of antitrust laws in the form of Curtis Polk, the longtime business partner of 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan, spearheading a suggested boycott of the 2024 Duel at Daytona in addition to other illegal negotiating tactics over the 2025-to-2031 charter agreement extension.
A summary judgment can be issued when there are no issues beyond legal fact, allowing a judge to render a verdict without a jury, meaning that 23XI and Front Row are effectively asking Judge Kenneth D. Bell to rule against NASCAR so it can focus on its original claims during a trial set for December 1.
The legal representation for the teams summed up their position succinctly in its opening statements:
“This Court previously found that NASCAR’s amended counterclaim barely survived the ‘low bar’ for a motion to dismiss and that the counterclaim’s defects ‘are best addressed at Summary Judgment, with a more developed factual record.’ That moment has now arrived for NASCAR to ‘put up or shut up’ at summary judgment.”
NASCAR has until October 3 to respond to this motion.
Ultimately, NASCAR will have to prevail on antitrust grounds by proving Polk and the two teams participated in a ‘contract, combination, or conspiracy; that imposed an unreasonable restraint of trade.’
It’s the same thing, legally speaking, that the teams will be tasked with proving that NASCAR did at the December 1 trial.
23XI and Front Row state in their filing that collective negotiations are not anticompetitive and it is not as if NASCAR did not have the chance to communicate with teams individually because they did and it resulted in 13 of the 15 teams agreeing to terms.
As it pertains to the NASCAR allegations against Polk, the filing argues that 13 teams also chose a different path than the one eventually concluded by the 23XI investor.
“There is no factual basis for NASCAR’s allegation that Mr. Polk was somehow the individual orchestrator of the teams’ joint efforts to negotiate the charter system, which predate his participation by many years. Indeed, even after Mr. Polk joined the teams’ joint negotiation efforts in 2022, and eventually became one of four members of the (Teams Negotiating Committee), the undisputed evidence shows that the other teams often did not agree with Mr. Polk’s views and took individual positions in the negotiations that preclude as a matter of law any inference of an ‘agreement’ with him. This is best illustrated by the fact that 13 of the 15 teams individually agreed to the 2025 Charter Agreement despite Mr. Polk’s objection to its terms.
There is thus no evidence to allow a reasonable jury to find that Mr. Polk had the power, or exerted the influence, to inflict anticompetitive harm on NASCAR from any agreement with other teams.”
The filing also argues that Front Row Motorsports shouldn’t even be included in this countersuit because that team did not have a seat on the Teams Negotiating Committee and there is no evidence from NASCAR whatsoever of any alleged illegal anticompetitive behavior.
Gold codes
As part of the counterclaim, NASCAR accuses Polk of attempting to organize a boycott of the 2024 Duel at Daytona, which ultimately did not come to fruition.
However, and this came to light in the most recent hearing over an injunction, NASCAR has conceived of a response to a boycott or the teams not signing with what it called ‘gold codes,’ a series of responses to not having the usual teams competing in the Cup Series.
As part of this latest filing, the teams produced documentation of what those responses would look like.
As part of its boycott response plan, NASCAR had an 18-month strategy that could reduce the field size to 30 cars, or redistribute charter money to open teams with NextGen cars or even fill out fields with Xfinity or ARCA cars.
In the latter scenario, race fields would be decided in the following order:
To make it work where these cars could compete together, NASCAR would work over six months towards balancing the competitive parameters of each cars through wind tunnel, track tests and dyno data.
There was even a hypothetical test scheduled for Daytona in August and Homestead in October.
NASCAR even had a contingency to just build cars themselves and operate the entire field to contest Cup Series caliber races.
They would have built a shop (last image above) to store all the cars and even set operational costs (below) to do.
As part of the plan to operate all the teams, they had a document where they would pay each driver $2 million dollars each ($72 million combined), road crews and nine per 36 cars and $1.5 million dollars across ($54 million), six pit crew members across 36 at $1.5 million combined and 38 building personnel at a combined salary of $4.7 million dollars.
It’s worth pointing out that NASCAR dated the Gold Code deck as June 27, 2024, which came two years into the negotiating period, and after the teams refused to show up to the Team Owner Council meeting in April 2023.
NASCAR had to have some plan and it also stated its reasoning on Page 4 of the Gold Codes deck.
“Teams may use ‘disruption’ as a negotiating tactic. This presentation is not meant to capture all possible scenarios but rather present response options and mitigation techniques to those actions that may affect the on-track product.”
In other words, all of this is a He Said versus He Said dynamic in that NASCAR says it purely had response option for any number of scenarios where 23XI and Front Row show this as examples of NASCAR’s anti-competitive stance towards the teams.
The overall argument
In totality, 23XI and Front Row essentially argue that NASCAR’s counterclaim is without legal merit because NASCAR’s Gold Codes show no shortage of participants to take the place of any team that did not sign the charter agreement.
“Moreover, NASCAR’s own expert and executives have stated that there were at least 150 teams with licenses to participate in Cup Series events who could have competed in the input market with the chartered racing teams.”
Therefore, no injury to NASCAR in the form of how teams negotiated.
The teams also argue that they don’t have the market power to act anticompetitively.
“NASCAR’s own submissions thus establish that the 15 chartered teams lacked any semblance of market power because, as NASCAR tells it, there were over 150 other licensed teams and other ‘eager’ ‘aspiring entrants’ to which NASCAR could turn.
“As a matter of antitrust law, no reasonable jury could find that 15 out of at least 150 licensed teams—or at most 10% of potential entrants—have market power over NASCAR and neither NASCAR nor its experts estimate any greater market share for the (Race Team Alliance) members.”
The filing makes an argument that NASCAR, in the opinion of 23XI and Front Row, preferred to negotiate with the Race Team Alliance teams as opposed to any of the options displayed in the Gold Codes.
“At most, the evidence shows that NASCAR preferred purchasing the services of the RTA members at the lower domestic media revenue-share and other onerous terms it demanded of them, rather than turning to the more than 150 other racing teams that were licensed to compete in Cup Series races, or pursuing other options available to NASCAR (such as a vertical integration in which NASCAR would hire the drivers and only have its own teams race)
“But NASCAR’s preference for the RTA members at a below competitive market price does not provide any evidence that the racing teams which belonged to the RTA had any market power.”
All told, the teams says NASCAR has not shown any evidence of the teams being able to cause antitrust injury purely through joint negotiations, an assertion NASCAR will respond to in the weeks ahead.
In this article
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Not many NASCAR drivers can say they retired on a win — but the Late, Great Greg Biffle can. Biffle made his NASCAR debut in the Busch Series in 1996, driving part-time before moving to the Truck Series in 1998.
He later progressed to full-time Cup Series competition, building a highly successful career across all three national series. Biffle won titles in the Truck and Xfinity series and nearly completed the Grand Slam in 2005, finishing second in the Cup. The North Carolinian won a total of 56 races across NASCAR’s three national series during his career: 19 in the Cup Series, 20 in the Xfinity (Busch) Series, and 17 in the Craftsman Truck Series.
He retired from full-time competition after the 2019 season, but won his last-ever NASCAR race, the Truck event in Texas at the SpeedyCash.com 400. It was Biffle’s first Truck win in 15 years. On Thursday, Biffle, his wife Cristina, and two of his children, Emma, 14, and Ryder, 5, were four of seven killed in a tragic plane crash in Statesville, NC.
A preliminary report is expected within 30 days from the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation. Three of the people on board, including former stock car racer Biffle, had their pilot’s license.
Collection and documentation of the crash will take place, and investigators will begin to piece together what went wrong. A central focus of the investigation will be locating and analyzing the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), which captures all sounds inside the cockpit. Once recovered, the device will be sent to a laboratory in Washington, D.C. for examination.
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Greg Biffle raced in his last-ever NASCAR race in 2019, driving the No. 51 in the Truck Series for the June 7 SpeedyCash.com 400.
Biffle, who tragically died on Thursday in a horror plane crash in Statesville, NC, had retired from full-time NASCAR racing in 2016 after two decades in the sport.
The NASCAR legend won two NASCAR national series Truck and Xfinity titles — but fell short in the Cup, finishing second in 2005.
Those also killed this week were his wife, Cristina, daughter, Emma, son, Ryder, and three others.
The Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL) Season 2 concluded in spectacular fashion with a historic Grand Finale at the EMS Corporation Stadium, Calicut. Megastar and ISRL Brand Ambassador Salman Khan was present on ground, adding star power to an electrifying night of high-octane racing and live entertainment, as per a release. The finale witnessed a record-breaking turnout of over 32,000 fans, marking the highest-ever attendance for a motorsporting event in India and reinforcing Kerala’s strong connection with motorsport and large-scale live sporting experiences, the release said.
Amid roaring crowds and intense on-track action, Team Bigrock Motorsports were crowned ISRL Season 2 Champions, capping off a fiercely competitive championship that unfolded across Pune, Hyderabad and Calicut. The season showcased a compelling blend of international excellence and emerging Indian talent.
The Calicut round delivered thrilling racing across all categories. Matt Moss from team BigRock Motorsports (Australia) claimed victory in the 450cc International class aboard the Kawasaki KX 450, while Calvin Fonvieille from team Apollo Indewheelers (France) dominated the 250cc International category on the Yamaha YZ 250. The 250cc India-Asia Mix class was won by Delvinator Alfarizi (Thailand) riding the KTM 250 SX – F, drawing thunderous applause from the packed stadium.
Megastar Salman Khan, Brand Ambassador, ISRL, said, “Watching the Grand Finale in Calicut was truly special. The passion of the fans and the intensity of competition show how far Indian motorsport has come. ISRL is creating a platform where Indian riders can compete confidently alongside the world’s best,” as quoted from a release.
Reflecting on the season, Veer Patel, Managing Director, ISRL, said, “Season 2 reflects the growing belief in Supercross across India. From Pune to Hyderabad and now Calicut, the record-breaking fan response shows the sport has truly found a home here, while we continue building strong pathways for Indian riders alongside world-class racing.”
Over the course of Season 2, 36 international riders from 21 countries, including Australia, France, the USA, Germany, Thailand and South Africa, competed alongside India’s top riders such as Rugved Barguje, Ikshan Shanbhag, Prajwal Vishwanath and Shlok Ghorpade, highlighting ISRL’s growing global stature, as per the release.
Beyond the races, the Reise Moto ISRL Fan Park transformed EMS Corporation Stadium into a complete motorsport festival, featuring live music, racing simulators, interactive brand zones, food experiences, merchandise and rider interactions, creating an immersive fan experience for families and enthusiasts alike.
With Season 2 concluding on a historic high, the Indian Supercross Racing League now looks ahead to expanding its footprint, strengthening grassroots development and further positioning India on the global Supercross map.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Drag Racing with CHRISTMAS TREES! Racing Action From Cleetus McFarland’s XMAS Tree Drags 2025 At Bradenton Motorsports Park
Dec 21, 2025Chad Reynolds1320 Event Coverage, 1320 Spotlight, 1320 Videos, BangShift 1320, RACING & ACTION, Videos
Cleetus’ Christmas Tree Race 2025 was a very special race. The race has become kind of a big deal since starting a few years ago, and has some pretty simple rules. You must race with a Christmas Tree on or in your vehicle, it must be a minimum of 6 feet tall, it can’t fall off, and you have to have lights on it. Simple right? Well…
Video Description:
We wrapped up Cleetus McFarland’s XMAS Tree Drags 2025, following the entire event from start to finish. This video covers every round from the OG 32-car field all the way through the Elite 8 — the fastest cars on the property — right down to the finals.
Cleetus lined up in both Mullet and Leroy, alongside a stacked field of big-name cars and a few surprise entries we hadn’t seen before. From first-round shakeups to the final matchups, this one delivered nonstop action.
FREE LIVE DRAG RACING: The 4th Annual Christmas On The Coast Jr. Dragster Races From Gulfport Dragway – Saturday
Calicut (Kerala) [India], December 21 (ANI): The Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL) Season 2 concluded in spectacular fashion with a historic Grand Finale at the EMS Corporation Stadium, Calicut. Megastar and ISRL Brand Ambassador Salman Khan was present on ground, adding star power to an electrifying night of high-octane racing and live entertainment, as per a release.
The finale witnessed a record-breaking turnout of over 32,000 fans, marking the highest-ever attendance for a motorsporting event in India and reinforcing Kerala’s strong connection with motorsport and large-scale live sporting experiences, the release said.
Amid roaring crowds and intense on-track action, Team Bigrock Motorsports were crowned ISRL Season 2 Champions, capping off a fiercely competitive championship that unfolded across Pune, Hyderabad and Calicut. The season showcased a compelling blend of international excellence and emerging Indian talent.
The Calicut round delivered thrilling racing across all categories. Matt Moss from team BigRock Motorsports (Australia) claimed victory in the 450cc International class aboard the Kawasaki KX 450, while Calvin Fonvieille from team Apollo Indewheelers (France) dominated the 250cc International category on the Yamaha YZ 250. The 250cc India-Asia Mix class was won by Delvinator Alfarizi (Thailand) riding the KTM 250 SX – F, drawing thunderous applause from the packed stadium.
Megastar Salman Khan, Brand Ambassador, ISRL, said, “Watching the Grand Finale in Calicut was truly special. The passion of the fans and the intensity of competition show how far Indian motorsport has come. ISRL is creating a platform where Indian riders can compete confidently alongside the world’s best,” as quoted from a release.
Reflecting on the season, Veer Patel, Managing Director, ISRL, said, “Season 2 reflects the growing belief in Supercross across India. From Pune to Hyderabad and now Calicut, the record-breaking fan response shows the sport has truly found a home here, while we continue building strong pathways for Indian riders alongside world-class racing.”
Over the course of Season 2, 36 international riders from 21 countries, including Australia, France, the USA, Germany, Thailand and South Africa, competed alongside India’s top riders such as Rugved Barguje, Ikshan Shanbhag, Prajwal Vishwanath and Shlok Ghorpade, highlighting ISRL’s growing global stature, as per the release.
Beyond the races, the Reise Moto ISRL Fan Park transformed EMS Corporation Stadium into a complete motorsport festival, featuring live music, racing simulators, interactive brand zones, food experiences, merchandise and rider interactions, creating an immersive fan experience for families and enthusiasts alike.
With Season 2 concluding on a historic high, the Indian Supercross Racing League now looks ahead to expanding its footprint, strengthening grassroots development and further positioning India on the global Supercross map. (ANI)
(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)
Tragedy Strikes: NTSB Launches Deep Investigation into Fatal Greg Biffle Plane Crash
In a devastating turn of events, the aviation world was rocked last Thursday when NASCAR legend Greg Biffle, his family, and three others tragically lost their lives in a plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now on a mission to uncover the harrowing details behind this catastrophic incident, with a press conference held Saturday shedding some light on the ongoing investigation.
NTSB Board Member Michael Graham and Investigator-In-Charge Dan Baker addressed the media, but the information was limited as the investigation is still in its infancy. “We still do not know the circumstances which led the aircraft … to attempt to return to the airport,” Graham stated, emphasizing the urgent need to piece together the events that led to this heart-wrenching disaster.
One chilling revelation from the conference was a text message exchange between Biffle’s wife, Cristian Grossu Biffle, and her mother, Cathy Grossu. Cathy recounted the harrowing moments leading up to the crash: “Then she said something like ‘We’re in trouble, emergency landing.’ And I texted back, ‘What’s wrong with the plane?’” The gravity of the situation escalated when Cathy received an SOS alert, signaling a dire emergency. Graham confirmed that the NTSB is aware of this critical communication, stating, “We are not aware of any other communications from passengers on board the aircraft to those on the ground.”
As investigators delve deeper, the question of who was at the controls during the crucial moments of the flight remains unanswered. Both Greg Biffle and his companions, Dennis and Jack Dutton, were licensed pilots. Graham noted, “We do anticipate that all the information about all the pilot-rated occupants will be included in our preliminary report.” This report is expected within 30 days, but the agency’s final analysis could take up to 18 months.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the pilot’s identity, Graham revealed that the NTSB has a “degree of confidence” about the individual in the left seat, although verification is still required. He stressed the importance of accuracy in the investigation: “We want to know where everyone was sitting, and that is a little more difficult in a crash like this.”
In a shocking update, Graham shared that early indications from multiple sources suggest the aircraft was stable and configured for landing with its lights on. However, it was flying dangerously low. This crucial information aligns with the physical evidence found at the crash site, including debris located approximately 1800 feet from the runway threshold.
The investigation is ramping up as the NTSB meticulously documents the wreckage, evaluates the flight voice recorder, and analyzes various components. “All of these are being sent to NTSB recorders labs in Washington, D.C.,” Graham explained, highlighting the importance of recovering critical data to determine the probable cause of this tragedy.
Amidst the chaos, a drone was deployed to assist in the investigation, although high winds initially hampered its operations. As conditions improved on Saturday, the team was able to resume their efforts to gather evidence from the crash site.
With so many unanswered questions and the clock ticking, the NTSB is committed to uncovering the truth behind the demise of Greg Biffle and his companions. As the agency continues its exhaustive investigation, the families and fans of those lost are left grappling with the profound loss and searching for closure in this heartbreaking saga.
Throughout the racing year, now and then, race fans are blessed with a handful of special days in which NASCAR, IndyCar, and F1 all race on one calendar date. In 2026, this will occur eight separate times. Here’s a look at those race days.
Of course, these are all subject to time and date, and, in some cases, these races could realistically happen with 12 hours of one another.
The first date that all three series race on is March 15, with Formula One racing at Shanghai International Circuit for the Chinese Grand Prix, IndyCar racing on the streets of Arlington, Texas, for the first time, and NASCAR racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
On May 24, all three series will race on U.S. soil on the same day. Formula One will race in the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, with IndyCar hosting the 110th Indianapolis 500 that same afternoon, and NASCAR kicking off the 67th Coca-Cola 600 later that evening.
The final triple header will be on September 6, with Formula One racing at Monza, IndyCar racing in their season finale at Laguna Seca, and NASCAR hosting, what is at press-time, a playoff race in the 77th Southern 500.
March 15
NASCAR: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
IndyCar: Grand Prix of Arlington
Formula One: Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai)
March 29
NASCAR: Martinsville Speedway
IndyCar: Barber Motorsports Park
Formula One: Japanese Grand Prix (Suzuka)
April 19
NASCAR: Kansas Speedway
IndyCar: Grand Prix of Long Beach
Formula One: Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (Jeddah)
May 24
NASCAR: Charlotte Motor Speedway
IndyCar: Indianapolis 500
Formula One: Canadian Grand Prix (Montréal)
June 7
NASCAR: Michigan International Speedway
IndyCar: World Wide Technology Raceway
Formula One: Monaco Grand Prix (Monaco)
July 5
NASCAR: Chicagoland Speedway
IndyCar: Mid‑Ohio Sports Car Course
Formula One: British Grand Prix (Silverstone)
July 19
NASCAR: North Wilkesboro Speedway
IndyCar: Nashville Superspeedway
Formula One: Belgian Grand Prix (Spa‑Francorchamps)
September 6
NASCAR: Darlington Raceway
IndyCar: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Formula One: Italian Grand Prix (Monza)
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