CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It’s the summer to sue in NASCAR, the sport where the on-track bumping and banging is in danger of being overshadowed by the action in the courtroom.

Two teams — one owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan — are suing NASCAR over antitrust allegations. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are awaiting a federal court ruling before Sunday’s race in Delaware that could impact their ability to compete.

Meanwhile, seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is battling tiny Rick Ware Racing and his lawyers at Legacy Motor Club went hard at Ware’s attorneys in a Monday hearing.

What is all the fighting about? Charters, which are at the heart of NASCAR’s business model. Having one is vital to a team’s survival.

The legal wrangling is only making the the charters skyrocket in value. When Spire Motorsports debuted in 2019, it had bought a charter for $6 million. Now, one of Spire’s founders brokered the now-disputed deal for Ware to sell one of his two charters to Legacy for $45 million.

Johnson is not enjoying the legal brawling, including the higher-profile antitrust fight. He called on those parties to settle.

“I’m just sitting back watching it all play out, learning a lot about the legal process and the amount of injunctions and appeals that can take place,” Johnson said. “It’s a big game of chess and I’m watching all the strategy that goes into it all.

“I would love to see a settlement of some kind. I really don’t think that getting into a knock-down, drag-out lawsuit is good for anybody.”

The NASCAR lawsuit

23XI and FRM filed a federal antitrust suit against NASCAR last year after they were the only two organizations out of 15 to reject NASCAR’s extension offer on charters.

The case has a Dec. 1 trial date, but in the meantime, the two teams are fighting to be recognized as chartered for the current season, which has 16 races left. A charter guarantees one of the 40 spots in the field each week, but also a base amount of money paid out each week.

Jordan and FRM owner Bob Jenkins won an injunction to recognize 23XI and FRM as chartered for the season, but the ruling was overturned on appeal earlier this month. Both teams were set to be stripped of a combined six charters on Wednesday, which would force them to compete as “open cars.”

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin co-owns 23XI with Jordan and said they are prepared to send Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst to the track each week as open teams. But they still filed for a restraining order Monday and claimed that through discovery they learned NASCAR upon revocation planned to immediately begin the process of selling the six charters which would put “plaintiffs in irreparable jeopardy of never getting their charters back and going out of business.”

NASCAR said it has asked multiple times for settlement proposals but heard nothing. NASCAR also has no intention of re-negotiating the charter agreements held by 30 other teams.

Jordan has the money to keep 23XI running without charters, but FRM doesn’t have the same level of funding. Additionally, if the teams aren’t chartered, they will have to qualify on speed each week to make the field.

It won’t be an issue this weekend at Dover as fewer than the maximum 40 cars are entered. But should 41 cars show up anywhere this season, someone slow will be sent home.

“We’re not worried because our cars have the speed. We’ve always said we’re racing no matter what. If we have to race open, we have to race open,” Hamlin said at Sonoma Raceway last weekend. “We worked to get an injunction and obviously feel like Dec. 1 is all that matters.”

Legacy vs. RWR

This case is actually a dispute over agreed-upon terms for Ware to sell one of his two charters to Johnson and his partners at Knighthead Capital Management.

Ware this season is leasing a charter to RFK Racing and was already under agreement with that team to get the charter back in 2026, then lease RFK its second charter next season. He never had a charter to sell for 2026 unless he ceased operations.

Yet when he signed the contract with Legacy, Ware has said, he didn’t read it through and catch that the sale terms were for next season and not 2027, when he’d have both charters in his possession.

RWR is alleging Legacy pulled a bait-and-switch, and if true, it is on Ware for not seeing it in the contract he signed.

The curveball came when T.J. Puchyr, the Spire co-founder who now acts as a consultant and brokered the deal between Legacy and Ware, said last month he plans to buy Ware’s team. Legacy argued in court Monday it was blindsided by the news, that if Ware is selling then the charter rightfully belongs to them, and they urgently needed depositions before Ware sold his race team out from under them.

It didn’t help when Ware’s lawyers couldn’t answer questions about a potential sale: “I think you need to talk to your client,” the judge told them before warning Ware may be in contempt of court and ordering depositions for later this week.

Ware, meanwhile, apparently accepted the Legacy offer for his charter despite a second bid of more than $50 million from another party. With NASCAR indicating through discovery in the 23XI/FRM suit that it has interested buyers for the six charters, it is a seller’s market.

Johnson, with financial backing from Knighthead, is certain he will be getting the Ware charter one way or another to expand Legacy to three full-time Cup Series drivers.

“I’m not sure there is a plan B,” Johnson said of his confidence level at winning the case.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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NASCAR Week in Wetaskiwin July 6 to 12 was capped off Saturday when the top Canadian NASCAR drivers rolled into Wetaskiwin, shifting into high gear for the for the most western leg of the NASCAR Canada Series, the NAPA 300.

The week-long celebration brings in visitors from all over North America and gets the whole community revved up, bringing together fans, clubs, organizations and businesses to highlight the best of Wetaskiwin.

Things kicked off with a pancake breakfast at the Wetaskiwin Legion on Sunday, followed by racing-themed events each day, including a race car driver story time at the library, Play in the Park with a real race car and driver onsite and a car show at Fizmo Automotive.

A high-octane kick off party with local racing and live music launched the NAPA 300 weekend on Friday night. 

Saturday started off with the NASCAR Canada Hauler Parade arriving in the morning from Nisku. 

The special guests for the day were Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team “The SkyHawks” and CFB Edmonton,1SVC BN and RCEME “Jiffy Jeep,” who dismantled a Jeep, put it back together and hit the track within minutes.

Fireworks lit up the night sky to finish off the weekend. 

The top finishers were Marc-Antoine Camirand, Donald Theetge, and Kevin Lacroix. 

The Leland Industries 250 at the Sutherland Automotive Speedway in Saskatoon on Wednesday, July 16 is the next stop in the NASCAR Canada Series.

The third and potentially final NASCAR Chicago Street Race made a few firsts during the Fourth of July weekend. Rain stayed away, the races ran to completion and two new networks broadcast the events to a national TV audience.

Shane van Gisbergen, who won the inaugural Cup Series race in 2023, took the checkered flag once again this year, but far fewer people saw it.

While attendance figures for the event have yet to be released, TV ratings for the Grant Park 165 on July 6 were down for the third consecutive year, averaging 2.1 million viewers on cable channel TNT, according to Nielsen.

The races were broadcast on NBC during the first two years. In 2023, the debut Cup Series street race averaged nearly 4.8 million viewers despite a torrential rain delay. Last year’s race, also plagued by rain delays, averaged 3.87 million viewers, according to Nielsen data.

Whether declining ratings for the Cup Series event reflect the shift from a broadcast to a cable network or perhaps waning interest in NASCAR’s first urban street race, it does represent diminished media value for Chicago, which provided the telegenic backdrop for the pop-up street course.

Last year, the street race generated $128 million in total economic impact and drew 53,036 unique visitors, according to a study commissioned by Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism arm. The nationally televised Cup Series race also generated $43.6 million in media value for Chicago, according to a companion report.

Marc Ganis, a Chicago-based sports marketing consultant, said the media value of the street race is hard to quantify, but potentially irreplaceable for the city.

“What is really going on is the ability to showcase your city in a way that you really can’t do any other time,” Ganis said. “They’re able to show the downtown area, the aerial shots, the lakefront, the architecture, the parks in ways that you can only show in a tourist reel that very few people watch. So it has tremendous value in that way.”

TNT is in the first season of a new seven-year rights agreement with NASCAR, carrying a five race “in-season challenge” that began June 28 with the Quaker State 400 from Atlanta. Ratings for the Chicago Street Race were up 31% over the previous week’s traditional oval race.

The Xfinity race on July 5, which was also won by van Gisbergen, averaged 1.1 million viewers on its new TV home, the CW broadcast network, according to Nielsen. That was up 95% compared to the previous week’s Xfinity race from Atlanta.

In Chicago, CW affiliate WGN-TV saw 51% audience growth over last year’s Xfinity race, which was broadcast locally on NBC 5, according to Nielsen data provided by the CW.

The CW Network began carrying NASCAR’s 33-race Xfinity Series this year, the first of a seven-year agreement.

Meanwhile, the city just completed its three-year agreement with NASCAR to host the street race. The deal, struck during former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration, includes a two-year renewal option.

The media value and a forthcoming economic impact report may well play into the city’s willingness to renew the street race under Mayor Brandon Johnson. A decision is expected within 90 days.

“Conversations are ongoing with NASCAR about future Street Races,” a mayor’s office spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. “The Mayor is interested in exploring potential dates outside of the 4th of July weekend because of the strain large events pose to our law enforcement resources.”

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin has revealed his views on the pit lane clash during the Cup Series race at Sonoma. A conflict erupted between the pit crews of RFK Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing after Ty Gibbs and Brad Keselowski had pitted.

The pit stalls of both teams were next to each other, a point that contributed to the conflict. When Keselowski’s crew awaited his arrival, Gibbs came into the pits before him and grazed tire changer Telvin McClurkin while passing through the RFK Racing stall.

Keselowski came in a few seconds later. Once he set off, McClurkin confronted the JGR crew members, which escalated into a fight. NASCAR officials intervened to settle the dispute. The sport stated that Gibbs was not at fault for grazing the tire held by McClurkin, considering the lack of sufficient space.

Now, Hamlin has revealed his take on his Actions Detrimental podcast, concluding that both teams were “trying to gain an advantage.” He said:

“You can see where he came in one way one time, came in another way a different time, but he is in front. So, he has the right to use the pit box. It’s just bad timing, is the best I can explain it.

“Whenever you’re pitted in front of someone and then you’re barely in front of them on track, what happens is you have their tire carriers and their jackman kind of standing at the wall. They’ve changed the rule recently over the last year or two to where they don’t want these guys jumping off the wall. That’s too much weight, you’ll create injuries. So, they let them kind of get ready in their pit box.

“Well, they’re trying to get around to the right side of the car before it stops. Brad’s team is trying to get their advantage, which is get to the right side as soon as possible. But they’re not able to run out there till after the 54 passes, which that definitely does slow them down.

“I didn’t see the carrier move from his position, but I think Ty was trying to get the best angle into his box — which he’s entitled to — and the contact happened. Who’s fault? I don’t know. Both sides were trying to gain an advantage.”

RFK put its case forward to NASCAR by submitting footage that offers an overhead view of the incident. However, the sport did not accept RFK’s argument.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Legacy Motor Club on Wednesday sued the broker who helped negotiate its purchase of a charter from Rick Ware Racing, accusing him of tortious interference for now trying to buy Ware’s NASCAR team.

Legacy alleged in its filing in North Carolina Superior Court that T.J. Puchyr, acting as a consultant for the Cup Series team owned by seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, violated the state Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act by using “insider knowledge and position of trust to interfere with Legacy’s Agreement with RWR.”

Legacy also accused Puchyr of making public personal attacks against Johnson when he announced last month his plans to purchase Ware’s tiny race team.

The dispute began not long after Legacy entered into an agreement for Johnson and his partners at Knighthead Capital Management to purchase one of Ware’s two charters. Legacy says the deal is for next season, when it plans to expand to three full-time Cup cars.

RWR maintains the deal was for 2027 because it already is under contract with RFK Racing to lease that organization a charter next season. Ware says he didn’t read the contract closely when he signed it to note that it read 2026, and that honoring the RFK contract and selling a second charter to Legacy next year would put the NASCAR team out of business.

Legacy in April sued Ware, but as that fight is playing out, it claims Puchyr struck a deal to buy RWR. Puchyr is a co-founder of Spire Motorsports and now acts as a motorsports consultant.

“Mr. Puchyr was well aware of the parties’ dispute. He knew of the charter purchase agreement between Legacy and RWR that he helped broker,” the suit contends. “Despite Mr. Puchyr’s insider knowledge of the contract, his obligations under his consulting agreement with Legacy, Legacy’s contractual right to a charter … Mr. Puchyr recently announced that he intends to purchase both of RWR’s charters for himself.”

The latest filing is part of two active lawsuits surrounding charters, which are at the heart of NASCAR’s business model. Having one is vital to a team’s survival.

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are locked in a prolonged suit with NASCAR over antitrust allegations against the most popular motorsports series in the United States. 23XI, co-owned by retired NBA great Michael Jordan, and Front Row, owned by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, last September refused to sign the charter agreements offered by NASCAR after more than two years of contentious negotiations on extensions.

The two were the only holdouts out of 15 organizations to refuse the extensions. They instead sued and are awaiting a federal judge’s decision on whether they will be stripped of their six combined charters as the case heads toward a Dec. 1 trial date.

NASCAR has said it has asked multiple times for settlement proposals but heard nothing. NASCAR also has no intention of renegotiating the charter agreements held by 30 other teams.

Johnson, despite his own legal fight, said last weekend that he supported a settlement in the antitrust case.

“I would love to see a settlement of some kind,” Johnson said. “I really don’t think that getting into a knock-down, drag-out lawsuit is good for anybody.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

NASCAR Cup Series

Next Race: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400

The Place: Dover Motor Speedway

Track Length: 1 Mile Concrete Oval

The Date: Sunday, July 20

The Time: 2 p.m. ET

The Purse: $11,055,250

TV: TNT, 1:30 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 400 miles (400 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 120),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 250), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 400)

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Next Race: BetRivers 200

The Place: Dover Motor Speedway

Track Length: 1 Mile Concrete Oval

The Date: Saturday, July 19

The Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

The Purse: $1,651,939

TV: CW, 4 p.m. ET

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 200 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 45),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series

Next Race: TSport 200

The Place: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

Track Length: 0.686 Mile Asphalt Paved Oval

The Date: Friday, July 25

The Time: 8 p.m. ET

The Purse: $782,900

TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET

Radio: NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR (Channel 90)

Distance: 137.2 miles (200 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)