NASCAR refiles counterclaim against 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports
NASCAR requested the opportunity to amend its countersuit against Front Row Motorsports, 23XI Racing and Curtis Polk, received it on Thursday morning and officially filed it in the Western District of North Carolina on Thursday night. Like the previous version, much of the claims are redacted, including whichever new items NASCAR wanted to provide Judge […]
NASCAR requested the opportunity to amend its countersuit against Front Row Motorsports, 23XI Racing and Curtis Polk, received it on Thursday morning and officially filed it in the Western District of North Carolina on Thursday night.
Like the previous version, much of the claims are redacted, including whichever new items NASCAR wanted to provide Judge Kenneth D. Bell.
The basis of the countersuit includes what was filed in March, that the teams themselves violated antitrust laws in how they banded together under Polk to negotiate with the Sanctioning Body, while also tampering with television rights negotiations with FOX Sports in the form of an attempted boycott of the 2023 Daytona 500 qualifying races as planned by the 23XI Racing co-owner.
The key lines, remaining from the March filing is as follows.
“Beginning no later than June 2022, Counterclaim Defendants engaged in a conspiracy and agreement in unreasonable restraint of interstate trade and commerce, constituting a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1. Curtis Polk knowingly and actively orchestrated and participated in this illegal conspiracy, while working as a member of the TNC on behalf of the (Race Team Alliance) and aiding 23XI’s and Front Row’s participation in the scheme, also constituting a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1.”
NASCAR is (still) arguing that ‘23XI, Front Row, and their co-conspirators are horizontal competitors and separate economic actors who agreed to join together to collectively negotiate with NASCAR’ which would be different than a collectively bargained position from entities that are equal participants, like players of a stick and ball sport.
It says that Polk and the two teams pressured the other teams to participate in a boycott of a qualifying race, the 2024 Duel at Daytona, and ‘agreed to a scheme to pressure NASCAR to accept their collusive terms’ and interfered with negotiations with broadcast partners over contract extensions.
“On information and belief, Polk organized this threatened boycott in order to harm NASCAR, including NASCAR’s relationships with its broadcast partners,” the filing stated.
NASCAR also claims that the teams and Polk engaged in ‘active threats and coercive behavior in order to maintain their per se illegal cartel.’ The counter-suit claims that such ‘collusive conduct achievedits goals’ and that horizontal competitors jointly negotiating is a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act.
This is the second time that NASCAR has called someone involved in the suit ‘a cartel,’ making the reference to RTA executive director Jonathan Marshall in court in January as he sat in a proceedings over the preliminary injunction decision that ultimately granted both teams charter status this season.
Even though the teams did not sign the charter extension, federal district judge Kenneth D. Bell sought to maintain the status quo from before suit was filed through a trial that is set for December 1.
The injunction was also granted because the teams successfully argued that they would suffer irreparable harm if they were not recognized as charter teams in 2025 as drivers and sponsors both had opt-out clauses. The judge also waived a provision in the charter agreement that prevented teams from suing NASCAR, deciding that such an inclusion was likely a violation of federal antitrust laws.
That injunction decision has been appealed by NASCAR to the fourth circuit court in Richmond, Virginia. That hearing will take place on Friday morning at 8 a.m.
The complete new document, redacted as it may be, can be found below.
Lawsuit timeline
23XI Racing, Front Row decline to sign NASCAR’s final 2025-2031 charter document Why 23XI, Front Row filed a lawsuit against NASCAR 23XI, Front Row makes his case in antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR Richard Childress says he had ‘no choice’ but to sign charter document How drivers feel about the lawsuit Michael Jordan comments on his team’s lawsuit against NASCAR Meet NASCAR’s antitrust defense lawyer NASCAR files injunction to be included in charter system through lawsuit NASCAR motions against team’s preliminary injunction request NASCAR, teams consent to redacting charter details in filings Teams make case for injunctive relief, expedited discovery NASCAR’s lengthy rebuttal to injunction, lawsuit Teams respond to NASCAR response over injunction 23XI, Front Row and NASCAR go to court over injunctions Judge rules against teams preliminary injunction request Denny Hamlin says 23XI may not race next year What preliminary injunction denial means for lawsuit NASCAR drops ‘lawsuit release clause’ in open agreement Appeal timeline rebuttal filed by NASCAR Why 23XI may not have to race in the Clash without charters Teams drop appeal, may re-file in district court 23XI, Front Row re-file injunction request NASCAR opposes expedited timeline France, NASCAR motion to dismiss, deny SHR charter transfer request NASCAR says injunctive request still fails to show irreparable harm Teams say NASCAR went back on its word over SHR charters 23XI, Front Row respond to NASCAR’s motion to dismiss Judge orders NASCAR to issue charters to 23XI, Front Row NASCAR plans to appeal injunction ruling; other details Judge grants partial stay of injunction in blunt response to NASCAR Teams accuse NASCAR of petulance in response to delay request Why Judge Bell did not delay his injunction order NASCAR wants 23XI, FRM to post bond covering 2025 charter pay Both sides meet in court to argue motion to dismiss, bond payment Judge rules against NASCAR’s motion to dismiss, trial on schedule Injunction appeal formally filed by NASCAR NASCAR files counterclaim Why NASCAR is counter-suing the teams Denny Hamlin responds to NASCAR countersuit 23XI, Front Row file for NASCAR counterclaim dismissal NASCAR accuses district judge of faulty legal ruling 23XI, Front Row subpoena F1 financial documents
Tickets On Sale for 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto
INDYCAR Public sales for all 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto multiday tickets are underway at hondaindy.com. The 37th edition of the motorsports festival headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns July 18-20 to Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto. The longstanding summer event again will bring high-speed racing action to Toronto’s downtown streets alongside a […]
Public sales for all 2025 Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto multiday tickets are underway at hondaindy.com. The 37th edition of the motorsports festival headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns July 18-20 to Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto.
The longstanding summer event again will bring high-speed racing action to Toronto’s downtown streets alongside a festival atmosphere full of family fun with interactive displays and diverse food and beverage options. The weekend offers great value for families, as children 12 and under receive free general admission every day when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
On track, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will take on the 1.786-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit built on Exhibition Place near the Lake Ontario shoreline.
On Friday, July 18, Your Ontario Honda Dealers Present Free Fan Friday, which offers general admission courtesy of the Ontario Honda Dealers Association through a voluntary donation to Make-A-Wish Canada. Since 2010, Toronto Indy fundraising has raised over $1 million for the charity.
Fans can further enhance their Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto experience by purchasing a Paddock Pass, which grants access to the “locker room of motorsports.” Spectators looking to get even closer to the action can add a Pit Pass. For children ages 5-12, the Rookie Racers program offers behind-the-scenes experiences including access to the drivers and race cars.
Pricing starts at $85 for 2-Day General Admission for Saturday and Sunday. Fans planning on using public transportation can purchase a GO Combo ticket that includes a 2-Day General Admission ticket and two round-trip GO Transit fares to and from the event for $90 at hondaindy.com/promotions.
Bronze-level 2-Day Grandstand seating is available for $110. Silver and Gold levels are priced at $170 and $235, respectively. The Gold 2-Day Grandstand seat also includes a Paddock Pass ($80 value).
For full ticket pricing and 2025 event information and news, visit hondaindy.com or follow Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto on social media using #indyTO.
Factory team refines Porsche 963 setup ahead of 24 Hours of Le Mans
Photo credit: Porsche Porsche Penske Motorsport used Sunday’s test day at the Circuit des 24 Heures to fine-tune its three factory 963 hybrid prototypes ahead of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans. With temperatures just above 20 °C and light clouds, the team completed 194 laps—covering 2,643 km—across two three-hour sessions. Drivers reported a […]
Porsche Penske Motorsport used Sunday’s test day at the Circuit des 24 Heures to fine-tune its three factory 963 hybrid prototypes ahead of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans. With temperatures just above 20 °C and light clouds, the team completed 194 laps—covering 2,643 km—across two three-hour sessions. Drivers reported a consistently balanced car after evaluating multiple setup options and testing new components.
“It was a very productive test day, during which we ticked off a full to-do list with all three cars,” said Urs Kuratle, director of factory racing LMDh. The team ran Michelin medium tyres throughout, anticipating warmer race-week conditions. “We wrapped up the day incident-free, and the drivers provided positive feedback,” added Jonathan Diuguid, managing director at Porsche Penske Motorsport.
Photo credit: Porsche
Formula E world champion Pascal Wehrlein turned his first laps on the 13.626 km circuit in the No. 4 Porsche 963, while reserve driver Nico Müller prepared in the sister No. 5 car. Customer squad Proton Competition also logged 60 laps in its own Porsche 963. In the LMGT3 class, Manthey’s Iron Dames entry (#85) covered 872 km and the No. 90 and No. 92 911 GT3 R cars completed a combined 133 laps, using the unique mix of permanent track and public roads.
Driver feedback was uniformly positive. Felipe Nasr praised progress on brake and body-part testing, Mathieu Jaminet noted room for fine-tuning against a tight field, and Kévin Estre highlighted insights gained despite a late red-flag interruption. Manthey drivers Rahel Frey, Antares Au and Riccardo Pera all reported smooth, incident-free runs and a solid baseline for race preparations.
No on-track action is scheduled for Monday or Tuesday. Free practice and qualifying begin Wednesday, and the 24-hour race starts Saturday, 14 June at 4 pm CEST. Coverage in Germany will air on Nitro and Eurosport, with live streaming via the FIA WEC and ACO apps.
Meanwhile, Kaden Honeycutt clocked in at 38.930 seconds (184.947 mph) for the Xfinity Fastest Lap award on lap 93 of Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. Honeycutt finished second in each of the first two stages on Saturday, but was forced to pit road after suffering damage in the late-race flurry of cautions, finishing 21st. […]
Meanwhile, Kaden Honeycutt clocked in at 38.930 seconds (184.947 mph) for the Xfinity Fastest Lap award on lap 93 of Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event. Honeycutt finished second in each of the first two stages on Saturday, but was forced to pit road after suffering damage in the late-race flurry of cautions, finishing 21st.
Honeycutt is now seventh in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings, with eight top-10 finishes in 13 races. Stewart Friesen picked up the win in Saturday’s Truck Series event.
NASCAR driver, Michigan native Erik Jones embracing life on and off the track
NASCAR driver, Michigan native Erik Jones embracing life on and off the track – CBS Detroit Watch CBS News The one week of the season that Erik Jones gets to race in his home state, the 29-year-old driver for the No. 43 Toyota made time for not only another race, but to chat with CBS […]
NASCAR driver, Michigan native Erik Jones embracing life on and off the track – CBS Detroit
Watch CBS News
The one week of the season that Erik Jones gets to race in his home state, the 29-year-old driver for the No. 43 Toyota made time for not only another race, but to chat with CBS Detroit sports anchor Rachel Hopmayer about his new season of life on and off the track.
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Determined Effort By Custer Ends Prematurely After Getting Collected in Michigan Crash – Speedway Digest
With the Xfinity Series off this weekend, Cole Custer carried the banner for the Haas Factory team during Cup Series racing at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway. Making his sixth Cup Series start at Michigan, Custer rolled off 24th on Sunday. 41 Cole Custer – Recap Early in Stage One, Custer was faced with challenges, […]
With the Xfinity Series off this weekend, Cole Custer carried the banner for the Haas Factory team during Cup Series racing at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway. Making his sixth Cup Series start at Michigan, Custer rolled off 24th on Sunday.
41 Cole Custer – Recap
Early in Stage One, Custer was faced with challenges, reporting that his No. 41 Ford was loose on entry and exit, with a hint of tightness in the center of the corners. The handling made it difficult to get back to the throttle quickly off the turns. Still, Custer and the team were undeterred. As Stage One ended the team worked to dial in the HaasTooling.com Ford. Adjustments, including a round of wedge, were made to help improve stability, and give Custer the ability to attack the turns.
As Stage Two began, Custer worked to overcome adversity, He found restarts especially challenging, due to a lack of grip while trying to re-enter the throttle zone. He described the car as being “out of the track” with minimal grip, though he noted the balance itself wasn’t far off – just lacking overall feel. Unfortunately, just as the team looked to regroup and regain track position, Custer was caught in a multi-car incident on lap 68. The crash ended Custer’s day early and brought a premature close to what had been a determined effort. Custer was officially credited with a 35th-place finish.
“I don’t exactly know what transpired to get us into that situation but it just seemed like we all just ran out of room,” said Custer. It’s really disappointing from the standpoint of we want to be on the up end of things with our team right now. We want to move in the right direction in the summer time. I like we are bringing better cars to the racetrack and getting more competitive but getting wrecked on days like this, definitely sets that back.”
Up Next
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (Mexico City, Mexico)
Xfinity – Saturday June 14, 2025 @ 4:30pm on The CW
Cup — Sunday, June 15th, 2025 @ 3:00pm on Amazon Prime
