Motorsports

Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs’ daughter-in-law expected to testify Friday in NASCAR antitrust case

Published

2 days ago

December 5, 2025

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Retired NBA great Michael Jordan took the stand at the landmark NASCAR antitrust case and testified Friday that he has been a fan of the stock car series since he was a child, but felt he had little choice but to sue to force changes in a business model he sees shortchanging teams and drivers risking their lives to keep the sport going.

Jordan testified before a packed courtroom for an hour. His celebrity drew quips from the judge and even a defense attorney as he outlined why the team he co-owns, 23XI, had joined Front Row Motorsports in going to court against the top auto racing series in the United States.

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” the soft-spoken Jordan told the jury. “I sat in those meetings with longtime owners who were brow-beaten for so many years trying to make a change. I was a new person, I wasn’t afraid. I felt I could challenge NASCAR as a whole. I felt as far as the sport, it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

Jordan’s highly anticipated appearance followed dramatic testimony from Heather Gibbs, the daughter-in-law of race team owner Joe Gibbs, about the chaotic six-hour period in which teams had to sign an extension or forfeit the charters that guarantee revenue week to week throughout NASCAR’s 38-race season.

“The document was something in business you would never sign,” said Heather Gibbs, who is also a licensed real estate agent. “It was like a gun to your head: if you don’t sign, you have nothing.”

Charters are the equivalent of the franchise model used in other sports and in NASCAR, it guarantees every chartered car a spot in every race, plus a defined payout from the series. The system was created in 2016, and during the two-plus years of bitter negotiations on an extension, teams begged for the renewable charters to be made permanent for revenue stability.

When NASCAR refused to make them permanent and gave the teams six hours in September 2024 to sign the 112-page extension, 23XI and Front Row Motorsports were the only two organizations out of 15 to refuse. They instead filed the antitrust suit and the trial opened Monday to hear their allegations that NASCAR is a monopolistic bully. 23XI is co-owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, and Front Row is owned by fast food franchiser Bob Jenkins.

Jordan testified that 23XI bought a third charter late in 2024 for $28 million, even with all the uncertainty.

“I’m pretty sure they know I love to win,” the six-time NBA champion said. “Denny convinced me getting a third driver improved our chances to win, so I dove in.”

Like other witnesses this week, Jordan described a NASCAR that refused to discuss options or potential changes to the charter system, which he supports. He was asked why 23XI didn’t sign the extensions last fall.

“One, I didn’t think it was economically viable. Two, it said you could not sue NASCAR, that was an antitrust violation, I felt. Three, they gave us an ultimatum I didn’t think was fair to 23XI,” Jordan said, adding: “I wanted a partnership and permanent charters wasn’t even a consideration. The pillars that the teams wanted, no one on the NASCAR side even negotiated or compromised. They were not even open-minded to welcome those conversations, so this is where we ended up.”

Jordan referred to the NBA business model, which shares approximately half its revenue with players, far more than NASCAR.

“The revenue split was far less than any business I’ve ever been a part of. We didn’t think we’d ever get to what basketball was getting but we wanted to move in that direction,” he said. “The thing I see in NASCAR that I think is absent is a shared responsibility of growth as well as loss.”

Jordan said he owns 60% of 23XI and has invested $35 million to $40 million in the team. Jenkins testified earlier this week that his team has never turned a profit since launching his NASCAR team in the early 2000s and estimates he’s lost $100 million, even while winning the Daytona 500 in 2021.

Heather Gibbs earlier told the jury how she became co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing the day after her husband, Coy, unexpectedly died in his sleep the same night their son, Ty, won NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series championship in 2022. Coy Gibbs had moved into a leadership role with JGR following the death of his older brother, J.D., in 2019.

Because Gibbs had lost both his sons and had built the team as a legacy for his family, his daughter-in-law took an active role in the organization and personally participated in negotiations for the charter extensions. When NASCAR made its final offer at 6 p.m. on a Friday night with just hours to sign, the agreement did not include permanent charters. Gibbs testified that the organization was devastated.

“Everything was going so fast, the legacy of Coy, the legacy of J.D., everyone at JGR was very upset,” she told the jury. She said her father-in-law called NASCAR chairman Jim Franc,e pleading for a resolution.

“Joe said, ‘Jim, you can’t do this,'” she said. “And Jim was done with the conversation.”

Heather Gibbs said she had to leave to take her son to a baseball game in Chapel Hill and left worried about her father-in-law, who was 84 at the time.

“I left him sitting in the dark, listening to his blood sugar monitors going off,” she testified. “We decided we had to sign. We can’t lose everything. I did not think it was a fair deal to the teams.”

Joe Gibbs is both a Hall of Fame NASCAR owner and NFL Hall of Fame coach. He led the Washington football team to three Super Bowl titles and JGR has won five Cup Series championships. JGR has 450 employees, charters for four Cup cars and relies solely on outside sponsorship and investors to keep the team afloat. The team will mark its 35th season next year and Gibbs told the jury that JGR needs permanent charters to protect its investment in NASCAR.

“It’s the most important point, a permanent place in their history books,” she testified. “It is absolutely vital to the teams for us to know we have security, it can’t be taken away, to know what we’ve invested in is ours.”

Teams told NASCAR they were fighting for financial survival

On Thursday, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell testified that teams approached the sanctioning body in early 2022 asking for an improved revenue model, arguing the system was unsustainable.

O’Donnell was at the meeting with representatives from four teams, who asked that the negotiating window on a new charter agreement open early because they were fighting for their financial survival. The negotiating window was not supposed to open until July 2023.

O’Donnell testified that in that first meeting, four-time series champion Jeff Gordon, now vice chair of Hendrick Motorsports, asked specifically if the France family was “open to a new model.”

Ben Kennedy, great-grandson of NASCAR’s founder, told Gordon yes.

But O’Donnell testified that chairman France was opposed to a new revenue model.

Both sides speak of financial difficulties

The extensions that began this year upped the guaranteed money for every chartered car to $12.5 million in annual revenue, from $9 million. Hamlin and Jenkins have both testified it costs $20 million to bring a single car to the track for all 38 races. That figure does not include any overhead, operating costs or a driver’s salary, and Jenkins admitted he doesn’t spend that much.

NASCAR has argued it has made huge improvements for the teams as it works to grow the sport. O’Donnell testified that NASCAR lost $55 million in the three years it held a race on the downtown streets of Chicago, and $6 million when it raced in June in Mexico City. But he said those events were critical in widening viewership and signing Amazon as a media partner.

“It was a strategic investment because if not for that, Amazon would not have become a broadcast partner,” he testified.

Odds and ends

Judge Kenneth Bell admonished both sides over the slow pace of the trial, which was initially expected to take two weeks. Kessler said he didn’t anticipate wrapping up the teams’ side until the middle of next week.

NASCAR plans to call Roger Penske as a witness. Penske, who is reluctant to testify, has said he’s only available next Monday. Christopher Yates, lead attorney for NASCAR, asked that Penske be allowed to testify that day but Kessler objected because it would disrupt the flow of his presentation.

Bell sided with Kessler and told NASCAR to figure it out with Penske because “federal trials are an inconvenience.”

The judge also said stretching the trial to three weeks is not acceptable, and while he’s hesitant to step in to push the pace along, he urged both sides to counsel their witnesses to stop being “reluctant to answer even the most harmless questions.”

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Motorsports

Lando Norris wins F1 world championship by just two points – Motorsport – Sports

Published

2 hours ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Lando Norris secured his place as the 11th British driver to win the Drivers’ Championship title after finishing third at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – finishing just two points clear at the top of the standings.

The 26-year-old entered the weekend as the world championship leader, holding a 12-point lead over 2024 champion Max Verstappen, while teammate Oscar Piastri was still in contention, trailing the Dutchman by four points.

Norris had a chance to clinch the trophy in Qatar the previous weekend, but a misguided McLaren strategy allowed Verstappen to score maximum points and stay in the competition. As a result, Norris faced immense pressure heading into Abu Dhabi.

The conditions were straightforward: finish on the podium, and Norris would be crowned world champion. In qualifying, he laid the groundwork by edging out teammate Piastri for second on the grid, behind pole-sitter Verstappen.

When the race started on Sunday, Norris got off to a good start but was quickly blocked by Verstappen, who maintained the lead at Turn One. He then lost a spot to teammate Piastri, who started on the hard compound Pirelli tires and executed a well-timed, sweeping move around the outside of Turn Nine.

From that point, Norris found himself under pressure from Charles Leclerc. Ferrari had little to celebrate in Saturday’s qualifying but demonstrated strong race pace on Sunday, with the Monegasque racer staying within DRS range during the initial laps, keeping Norris on his toes.

Early pit stops from the trailing cars forced Norris to pit on lap 16 to prevent an undercut. After a swift service from the McLaren team, he found himself behind a multi-car DRS train but, crucially, ahead of Leclerc.

Following a series of decisive maneuvers, he closed in on Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda, Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, defended fiercely and, according to the stewards, crossed the line. Tsunoda was slapped with a five-second time penalty for weaving on the straight as Norris made a sharp move approaching Turn Six.

After navigating through the traffic, Norris’ task became easier. He extended his lead over Leclerc to more than six seconds while Piastri stayed out longer on his hard tires at the front. With 18 laps left, Leclerc made his final pit stop, prompting a cautious response from McLaren.

2.4 seconds later, the papaya-colored car exited the pit without any issues. On the same lap, Verstappen overtook Piastri on the track, and the Australian made his first and only pit stop.

With 14 laps remaining, Leclerc began to apply pressure, reducing Norris’ lead. However, the Brit had tire life to spare and responded, maintaining a four-second gap to the Ferrari driver.

From there, it was simply a matter of completing the race to the finish line. A seven-year F1 journey reached its peak, and British motorsport reclaimed its place at the top of the world.

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Motorsports

NASCAR driver loses ride immediately after winning the championship

Published

2 hours ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Corey Heim entered the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season having already competed in the series for two full seasons.

The 23-year-old Marietta, Georgia native went to the Championship 4 in both years (2023 and 2024) and combined for nine wins during that stretch with Tricon Garage, to go along with the two wins he earned during his second partial season with Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2022.

While most viewed him as a Cup-ready prospect even before the 2025 season, Heim signed with 23XI Racing as a development driver. In addition to running another full season in the Truck Series, he ran select races with 23XI Racing in the Cup Series and Sam Hunt Racing in the Xfinity Series.

The Toyota Racing Development star was dominant in the Truck Series, winning 12 of 25 races and capturing the championship. But he is still without a full-time ride for the 2026 season, and it has been confirmed that he will not be back behind the wheel of the No. 11 Toyota for Tricon Garage.

Corey Heim out at Tricon after winning 2025 NASCAR Truck Series championship

Kaden Honeycutt, who made it to the Championship 4 with Halmar Friesen Racing after being dropped by Niece Motorsports before the regular season ended, is set to replace Heim in 2026, while Heim will likely not have any full-time ride during the coming season for a number of reasons that continue to frustrate most NASCAR fans.

First of all, 23XI Racing have once again opted for Riley Herbst’s Monster Energy funding, thanks to the Herbst family-owned Terrible’s gas station chain, even after he finished 35th of 36 full-time drivers in the point standings with a series-worst top finish of 14th.

In fact, in his four Cup starts, Heim beat Herbst’s season-best finish twice, and on both occasions, he also beat teammates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace.

Then there’s the fact that Heim is presumed to be blacklisted by Joe Gibbs Racing. The clear-cut top Toyota destination at the Xfinity (now O’Reilly Auto Parts) level reportedly want no part of Heim due to his fractured relationship with Ty Gibbs from their days together in the ARCA Menards Series, even with two seats, plus select races in a third, still available – and yes, even with Gibbs having been competing in the Cup Series since 2023.

Of course, some believe that Heim would have effectively had a Tricon Garage ride available if he had wanted it, and that would make total sense after the success he’s had over the past few years; perhaps he has simply outgrown the Truck Series at this point, or perhaps he is indeed putting together something a lot better.

But the fact remains that he doesn’t currently have a full-time seat lined up anywhere else for 2026, and he won’t be back full-time at the team with which he just won the title to cap off arguably the most dominant season in the history of the series.

It is expected that Heim will run select races with at least 23XI Racing (Cup) and Sam Hunt Racing (O’Reilly) again in 2026. But if a full-on Cup promotion to 23XI Racing doesn’t come in 2027, don’t be surprised if he gets out from under the Toyota umbrella and signs with a team actually willing to give him the promotion and the ride he’s clearly shown he’s ready for.

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Motorsports

Snowball Derby 2025 postponed to Monday

Published

2 hours ago

December 8, 2025

Your Sports Nation

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Snowball Derby 300-lap late model race has been postponed to Monday due to inclement weather at Five Flags Speedway.

The premier super late model race will go green Monday at around 2 p.m. ET in Pensacola, Florida. All of the support division races will go green Tuesday, starting at 5 p.m. ET

The race was set to go green Sunday at 2 p.m. ET but a rain delay meant engines didn’t fire until four hours later. Then, the drivers did a couple of pace laps and came back to pit road due to fog.

Now on to Monday, the Snowball Derby is hoping to not go five for five. For four consecutive days, rain hampered on-track activities and condensed qualifying down to qualifying and the last-chance qualifier back-to-back at a breakneck speed before the Snowflake 125 that ended in the early Sunday morning hours.

2025 Snowball Derby Lineup

Preston Peltier: 16.240 seconds
Ty Majeski (16.301)
Hudson Bulger (16.319)
Jake Finch (16.325)
Spencer Davis (16.327)
Michael Atwell (16.350)
Jace Hansen (16.353)
David Gilliland (16.356)
Haeden Plybon (16.362)
Kasey Kleyn (16.384)
Dylan Fetcho (16.401)
Dawson Sutton (16.425)
Cole Butcher (16.431)
Jacob Gomes (16.433)
Derek Thorn (16.434)
Kaden Honeycutt (16.437)
Carson Brown (16.446)
Tristan McKee (16.450)
Max Reaves (16.459)
Bubba Pollard (16.486)
Derek Kraus (16.488)
Treyten Lapcevich (16.493
Casey Roderick (16.494)
Ty Fredrickson (16.498)
Buddy Shepherd (16.498)
Dustin Smith (16.504)
Ryan Preece (16.519)
Brandon Lopez (16.521)
Kole Raz (16.524)
Chase Pinsonneault (16.543)
Kyle Busch (LCQ)
Stephen Nasse (LCQ)
Derek Griffith (LCQ)
Jake Garcia (LCQ)
Matt Craig (Points Provisional)
Gavan Boschele (Points Provisional)

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com

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Motorsports

Max Verstappen’s wife has child with F1 driver he replaced – Motorsport – Sports

Published

5 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Max Verstappen is gearing up to stage a fourth consecutive F1 world championship defense in Abu Dhabi with girlfriend Kelly Piquet as his supporting cast. The Dutchman, 28, began dating Piquet, 37, the daughter of Formula 1 legend Nelson Piquet, in 2020.

However, the couple met a few years prior, when Max was 17, and she was dating Daniil Kvyat, with whom she had one child, Penelope. Kvyat also happened to be the driver Verstappen replaced at Red Bull in 2016.

Piquet has been by Verstappen’s side ever since, often travelling to F1 races as he proceeded to take the checkered flag and win four consecutive world championships along the way, as well as welcoming a daughter, Lily, earlier this year. The RB driver has already made a case for himself to be considered one of the best drivers of all time, much like his potential future father-in-law, Nelson, minus the controversy.

Kelly’s sister, Julia, is married to a motorsport star, NASCAR driver Daniel Suarez. The couple got married last year. It’s unlikely that the brothers-in-law will compete against each other, with Verstappen not fancying a stint in NASCAR.

“I like watching all different kinds of racing. For me, it’s just that on an oval, I don’t want to do it just for the risk of injury, you know, when you hit the fence,” Verstappen said on racing in NASCAR. “It’s not worth it, also if you have done your stuff in Formula 1, and yeah, I mean maybe you can win more there, and I mean that would be something that I would love, but it’s not worth the risk of having a really bad accident and hurting yourself really badly.

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“And I know in F1 that can happen as well, but they’re hitting the wall at 370, or whatever, is not something I am planning to do, but it’s sometimes not even your fault, right?

“Anything can happen. But to sometimes avoid a little bit of the risk, if you can, I would do that.”

However, F1’s upcoming regulation changes could force Verstappen out of the sport in the next few years. He’s already won four titles and is in the running for a fifth on Sunday in the Middle East, after clinching pole ahead of championship contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

“My contract runs until 2028, but it will depend on the new rules in 2026, and if they are nice and fun. If they are not fun, than I don’t really see myself hanging around,” Verstappen admitted.

“Winning seven titles is not on my mind. I know that there are three more years after this one, so it could be possible, but it is not something I need to do before I leave the sport. I can leave the sport easily tomorrow.

“I have a lot of other passions; other racing categories, I want to spend more time with the family, and live off my own schedule. And in my mind I know if I close the chapter, it is closed. I don’t see myself stopping and coming back. Once I stop, I really stop.”

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Motorsports

Brad Keselowski glad Michael Annett ‘no longer suffering’ after death – Motorsport – Sports

Published

6 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

After Michael Annett, a former NASCAR driver known for his one Xfinity Series win and many years on the circuit, died at age 39, the racing world has been left stunned.

Among those mourning was Cup Series star Brad Keselowski, who emotionally reflected on a shared past with Annett and expressed relief that his friend is “no longer suffering”.

Annett’s career spanned more than a decade across NASCAR’s national series. Over 436 total starts, including 321 in what is now the Xfinity Series, he earned a reputation for resilience and professionalism, as his former racing team put out a touching statement after his death.

His most significant triumph came at the 2019 season-opening race at Daytona, a hard-fought victory that remains his singular win at the national series level.

In addition to his national tour success, Annett also left his mark earlier in his career with two wins in the ARCA Menards Series, at Talladega in 2007 and at Daytona in 2008, victories that positioned him as a serious talent among rising drivers.

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Keselowski reminisced about those ARCA wins on social media, writing, “I remember this day vividly. Michael was an up and comer at the same time I was and he was looking really good.”

“In the end, Life took us different paths and all of us who knew him and the talent he had are sad to see him go, but glad he is no longer suffering.”

His final years in the sport were spent with JR Motorsports (JRM), from 2017 until his retirement in 2021 due to a stress fracture in his leg.

Even after retirement, those who raced with him remember Annett as a steady, respected presence in the garage.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Annett family with the passing of our friend Michael Annett,” the statement from JRM team read. “Michael was a key member of JRM from 2017 until he retired in 2021 and was an important part in turning us into the four-car organization we remain today.”

Because the cause of death has not been released, many questions remain unanswered. Still, for those who shared the track, the sentiment is clear: Annett’s life and career mattered deeply.

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Motorsports

Verstappen expected to win race, Norris title

Published

6 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

(GMM) Formula 1’s most dramatic three-way title decider in years has been set up perfectly in Abu Dhabi – Max Verstappen on pole, Lando Norris alongside, Oscar Piastri right behind (pictured).

“McLaren hasn’t been under this much pressure in a long time,” warned former team driver and F1 legend Gerhard Berger.

The strain showed on Norris’ face – admittedly behind “the only driver” he’s really worried about. He openly admitted he was “disappointed” not to beat Verstappen, knowing the Dutchman can now control the race from the front.

A Verstappen win alone won’t give the Dutchman his unlikely fifth title, because for Norris the maths is simple – finish P3 and he’s champion.

Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Second placed qualifier Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren congratulate each other in parc ferme during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 06, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Sam Bloxham/LAT Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool //

Whether Norris can keep his nerve is the question dominating the paddock. Verstappen immediately declared he wants “chaos” behind him – and even said he likes the pressure.

His father, Jos, speaking to De Limburger from Africa where he’s rallying, agreed: “Put the pressure on him like this, and he’ll go even faster.”

Nico Rosberg thinks Verstappen’s most realistic route to the championship resembles the way Lewis Hamilton tried to stop his title charge in Abu Dhabi in 2016.

“Max’s best chance is probably to hold up the whole field,” he told Sky Deutschland. “I know that very well from 2016.

“Max also has his teammate in P10. If the McLarens drop behind them after their stops, that could be his best chance. But Max will need a masterful performance.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he expects it too: “If Max keeps the whole field together, we can be right in the mix.”

Ralf Schumacher laid out the strategic nightmare for McLaren.

“If the two McLarens were at the front, they would do their own thing. But now things are different,” he said. “One small mistake at the start and anything can happen. And Lando was always a bit nervous at the start.

Related Article: Formula 1 News: Verstappen wins crucial pole for Abu Dhabi GP

“Piastri now has to drive for Norris,” Schumacher added. “If Russell and Leclerc get ahead of Norris, McLaren would lose the championship. Piastri has to cover Norris at the start, be careful at the pitstops, and if necessary, hold back Russell and Leclerc.”

Dr Helmut Marko also expects a tense race – beginning with the race start. “Normally, Norris always gets nervous when he’s up front next to Max,” he said.

Even though the odds are against Verstappen winning the title from 12 points back, few deny he has produced the most impressive season – and perhaps his most impressive of all.

Mathias Lauda told Osterreich: “He had so much of an inferior car – I’ve never seen anything like it. He just doesn’t give a damn. It would have impressed my father, too.”

Asked for his prediction, Niki Lauda’s son added: “It’s Norris. He just needs to keep a cool head. To finish only fourth with such a strong car would be unacceptable.”

Both Norris and Piastri claimed on Saturday that team orders haven’t been formally addressed. Lauda doesn’t buy it.

“Absolutely, there will be team orders,” he said. “They can’t afford any more mistakes. They’ll wait for the start, and then they have to make sure Norris finishes at least third.

“They’re under a lot of pressure now; it will be interesting to see how they handle it.”