CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The slow pace of the federal antitrust suit lodged against NASCAR continued Monday at the start of the second week of the trial, with high-profile witnesses not expected to make it to the stand anytime soon.

Jeffrey Kessler, lead attorney for the two teams suing NASCAR, indicated he plans to call NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps after an expected lengthy testimony from an accountant who will analyze team finances. After Phelps, Kessler said he will call Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress and finally NASCAR chairman Jim France.

But the case is moving far too slow for U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell’s liking and he’s repeatedly asked both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, as well as NASCAR, to speed it up. Monday was already off to a delayed start because Bell had to open court in the Western District of North Carolina early to address a slew of motions filed over the weekend.

He was particularly bothered by objections he received at 2:55 a.m. Monday and then 6:50 a.m. before the morning session. He took an hour to get through the rulings, and testimony resumed 30 minutes behind schedule.

It took until the first break of the day to finish testimony from Jonathan Marshall, the executive director of the Race Team alliance, a formal organization meant to represent all of the teams.

In his second day of testimony about the negotiations process on new revenue models, Marshall testified that a week before teams were given the take-it-or-leave-it final offer, a first version of the agreement was presented and team owners Joe Gibbs, Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske all indicated they planned to sign.

Marshall informed the other teams that the top three owners in NASCAR felt they had been presented with the best deal they would receive and planned to accept it, and he testified he believed all other team owners would follow the trio.

“There was a lot of discussion that these three men had been speaking to Jim France, trying to get accommodations on issues and it was clear it wasn’t going to happen,” Marshall said. “These were very friendly team owners with the France’s, in some cases over 50 years. Once those three signed, no one felt a better deal would be available.”

When Kessler gets to his final three witness, testimony should shed more light on the animosity between teams and series executives during the contentious two-plus years of negotiations on a new revenue sharing agreement.

Who is still to come?

Childress was the subject of derogatory text messages in which Phelps called the six-time championship-winning owner a redneck who “needs to be taken out back and flogged.”

The texts came out in the discovery phase of this messy saga in which Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan refused to accept NASCAR’s final offer on a new charter agreement and decided to sue the Florida-based France family, which founded NASCAR in 1948 and privately owns the stock car racing series.

It took Jordan’s testimony Friday to bring the national spotlight to NASCAR, but not for its racing product or its competition. Instead, Jordan is out to prove NASCAR is run by a family of dictators enriching themselves at the expense of the teams and drivers. Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, along with Front Row Racing, were the only two teams out of 15 to refuse the new charter agreements offered in September 2024 with a six-hour deadline to sign the 112-page document.

A charter is similar to the franchise model in other sports, but in NASCAR it guarantees 36 teams spots in the 40-car field, as well as specific revenue.

NASCAR publicly admitted it wants to settle the case in comments made ahead of the November season finale by Phelps, but the first week of testimony revealed Jordan and Front Row owner Bob Jenkins want a combined $340 million in damages. Jordan has previously said he’s open to a settlement; several mediation sessions failed to find a solution.

The case had a dreadfully slow first week in which Bell told both sides to pick up the pace but it seems certain the trial will carry into a third week as NASCAR remains days away from beginning its defense.

Every twist in the yearlong court battle has been a setback for NASCAR, which maintains it did give teams an improved revenue model from the original 2016 charter agreement and everything it has done is for the benefit of growing the sport.

However, Jenkins has claimed he’s never turned a profit in more than two decades of racing and has stated losses between $70 million and $100 million. Jordan and Hamlin have admitted 23XI Racing has been profitable in its five years of existence, but largely based on Jordan’s ability to draw high-dollar sponsors.

Jordan, who testified he’s a lifelong NASCAR fan, felt as one of the newer owners in a sport in which the top teams have existed for decades, that he was the only one who could actually challenge the France’s on their way of doing business.

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” Jordan testified. “I sat in those meetings with longtime owners who were brow-beaten for so many years trying to make 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.”

Among witnesses NASCAR is expected to call are Hall of Fame team owners Hendrick and Penske, two of the most powerful figures in motorsports. Penske tried to set his court appearance schedule by telling NASCAR he was only available to testify Monday, but the plaintiffs objected to Penske being called in the middle of their presentation.

Bell sided with 23XI Racing and Front Row and told NASCAR to work it out with Penske, who as owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar, which recently adopted its charter system, can testify to race sanctioning agreements, the revenue models and financial health of race teams.

Hendrick, a close friend of the France family for decades, is a car salesman and Charlotte local who can use his communication skills to support the theory everyone in racing understands the financials and willingly enters into NASCAR and the France’s business model.

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

Rick Ware Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series operation will switch to Chevrolet in 2026, aligning with the winningest manufacturer in series history.

The multiyear partnership with Chevrolet includes a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing (RCR), in which RWR will use engines prepared by ECR Engines.

“Chevrolet has always set a high bar with its people, its performance and its passion for racing, and partnering with them gives us the resources and support to make real progress on the racetrack. Teaming up with RCR and ECR provides a foundation we can build on, not just for 2026, but for the future of our race team. We’re proud to be part of the Chevrolet family,” said Rick Ware, team owner, RWR.

“The NASCAR Cup Series is the toughest and most competitive series in motorsports, and this is an important move for the long-term growth of our company. We’ve won in NHRA, American Flat Track, World Supercross and the CARS Tour, and we want to elevate our NASCAR performance to the level of our other programs.”

Chevrolet owns 44 manufacturer championships in the Cup Series, including the past five manufacturer titles, and 881 all-time victories.

“Rick and his team have shown a real commitment to growing their program, and we’re proud to support that effort alongside our partners at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines,” said Pat Suhy, manager, NASCAR Competition for GM Motorsports. “Bringing RWR into the Chevrolet fold is a win for all of us. Their drive to keep improving aligns with our dedication to performance and innovation.”

Cody Ware, driver of the No. 51 for RWR in the Cup Series, will make RWR’s Chevrolet debut in the non-points Cook Out Clash on Feb. 1 at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, before kicking off the 36-race slate of points-paying races with the 68th Daytona 500 on Feb. 15 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

RWR PR

Kasey Coler has been appointed as the President/CEO of the United States Auto Club, effective January 1, 2026.

Coler comes to USAC after serving the last nine years as the Vice President of track management and operation for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and as the general manager of Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

A native of Michigan who now resides in central Indiana, Coler will oversee all of USAC’s motorsports entities in circle track, off road, power sports and road racing.

“It is an absolute honor and privilege to join the USAC team,” said Coler, who was USAC’s 2022 Race Organizer of the Year. “With the scope of USAC’s history, its strong presence and its bright future, I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Coler becomes the 10th president of the United States Auto Club dating back to its founding in September 1955 and is thrilled to lead USAC’s next chapter founded on tradition while also continuing to build upon the foundation that has been constructed over the years and decades.

“I am really impressed with what has been built over the past 18 years under Kevin Miller’s vision and drive,” Coler stated. “It’s a really good team and I look forward to focusing on continuous improvement across the various USAC platforms.”

Kevin Miller, who has served as USAC’s President/CEO since December 1, 2007, will step into a new role as the President of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS-FIA) beginning January 1, 2026. The role at ACCUS places Miller as the USA representative on the global motorsports footprint, representing member clubs such as NASCAR, INDYCAR, IMSA, NHRA, SCCA and USAC with the FIA and in Washington, D.C.

Miller will also lead U.S. Race Management, the USA’s delegated sporting authority for FIA World Championship events such as Formula 1 and will be directly involved with all FIA World Championship events held in the United States, including Formula 1, Formula E, WEC and WRC. He will also be among the leaders working alongside lobbyists in Washington, D.C. regarding the political and regulatory issues that impact clubs, tracks, and the future of motorsports in the United States.

In addition to spending much of the last decade in leadership roles at IRP and NHRA, Coler’s background consists of marketing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Vice President of Marketing at INDYCAR and Vice President of Marketing with the Professional Bull Riders. Coler is a 2004 graduate of Indiana University.

Coler’s personal background in motorsports is diverse. Similarly, USAC is the most diversified sanctioning body in the motorsports world, with more than 20,000 annual competitors, and a footprint spanning the globe. That aspect has Coler particularly excited.

“I’ve devoted quite a bit of time to understanding USAC’s extensive history,” Coler said. “USAC has played a key role in many major historical events, all while working closely with other sanctioning bodies. That’s pretty darn exciting.”

Meanwhile, Miller is proud to become the first USAC President to move into a position beyond USAC and to lead ACCUS, which epitomizes USAC’s respect in the world’s motorsports scene, after leading the charge in orchestrating the expansive growth and diversity of USAC racing programs to include Road Racing, Powersports, Off-Road, Rally and youth racing.

Miller enhanced USAC with new business entities such as the additions of International Snowmobile Racing (ISR), American Rally Association (ARA), Wyrk_Space and Al Kamel North America. Under Miller’s leadership, he oversaw the revitalized new USAC headquarters in Speedway and the construction of the Dirt Track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He too is excited about what the future of USAC holds with Coler at the helm.

“I am super proud of what the USAC team has accomplished over the past 18 years,” Miller said. “What makes this transition easier is knowing how strong our team is to carry us into the future. Kasey is someone who understands racing, understands people and understands USAC. He will bring new energy, new ideas, and new opportunities, and I trust him fully to carry USAC forward.”

USAC PR

The 2025 Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show will feature a showcase of sim racing, esports innovation and hands-on motorsports experiences with multiple activations from Dec. 11-13 at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, event organizers stated in a press release. Leading organizations—including DALLARA-AK ESPORTS, Podium 1, SIMCraft, SRO America, and Team America/Init Esports—will bring professional-grade simulators, competitive events and educational programming to attendees during the show.

“SIM racing has grown into an exciting part of the motorsports world, and the 2025 PRI Show brings multiple activations together in one place,” said Michael Good, PRI president. “Attendees have the chance to see top competitors, test advanced simulators and experience the energy of esports racing firsthand. This lineup highlights the innovation, talent and collaboration that make the PRI Show a must-attend event for the motorsports community.”

SRO America Expands the SIM Racing Arena

SRO America is returning to the 2025 PRI Show with an expanded SIM Racing Arena. The event features daily invitational races with top esports competitors competing on professional-grade rigs, including Fanatec Clubsport GT cockpits, DD-Plus Direct Drive bases, Clubsport pedals, and MSI 49-inch monitors powered by high-performance MSI gaming PCs. These setups provide the precision, realism and performance used by professional drivers worldwide, noted the release.

All competitions will stream live on SRO Motorsports Twitch and GTWorld YouTube. Beyond racing, the arena offers interactive demos, hands-on experiences with cutting-edge sim hardware, educational sessions and panel discussions with industry experts, highlighting the latest advancements in sim technology and its growing influence on the motorsports industry.

Podium 1 Showcases Turnkey Systems, New Products & Pro Driver Activations

Podium 1 is bringing a full lineup of professional-grade sim technology to the PRI Show, giving attendees the chance to test industry-leading 6DOF, 4DOF, and 3DOF motion systems featuring Qubic Motion Systems and Vero Motion platforms, the company said. The activation includes multiple new product unveilings, including the Simucube SC3 Pro, Simucube Co-Pedals, BDH Active Shifter, VPG Porsche Wheel and more.

Special guest Tony Kanaan joins the Podium 1 lineup alongside the McLaren Arrow team, offering attendees opportunities to meet the racing legend and compete against his lap times for chances to win official McLaren items. Autograph sessions with Kanaan are scheduled for Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2-2:30 p.m., and Friday from 10-10:30 a.m. A McLaren Arrow IndyCar and a Radical SR3XXR will also be on display for photo opportunities.

The Top 12 Athletes From the 2025 TEAM AMERICA Talent Scouts Competition

Team America, powered by Init Esports, is bringing the nation’s top sim-racing competitors to the PRI Show for an in-person showdown. The top 12 athletes from the 2025 TEAM AMERICA Talent Scouts Competition powered by MOZA Racing have earned their place in the national finale at PRI. On Saturday afternoon, they will go head-to-head in the TEAM AMERICA Time Trial Challenge racing live on MOZA Racing equipment in front of manufacturers, media and motorsport leaders. PRI attendees can also compete by setting hot laps at the Team America booth on Thursday and Friday for a chance to earn one of the final spots on the Saturday grid.

“Team America is all about taking our incredible online community and putting it side-by-side in real life, and there’s no better place to do that than at PRI,” said Stefy Bau, founder of Init Esports.

DALLARA-AK ESPORTS Gets Attendees Behind the Wheel

DALLARA and AK Informatica launched DALLARA-AK ESPORTS earlier this year, a joint venture aimed at establishing Indianapolis as a global hub for sim racing. At the PRI Show, attendees can compete on Assetto Corsa Competizione simulators, racing GT cars on historic tracks. PRI says the activation gives fans a chance to experience the precision and excitement of professional-grade sim racing while engaging with one of motorsports’ most innovative partnerships.

“From interactive demos to live competitions, the SIM racing activations at PRI 2025 show how technology and motorsports continue to evolve together,” said Karin Davidson, PRI Show director. “We’re proud to offer attendees opportunities to engage, learn and compete in a hands-on environment while connecting with the top organizations and emerging talent shaping the future of the sport.”

By JENNA FRYER

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress could be called to the witness stand as early as Monday in the federal antitrust suit lodged against the top motorsports series in the United States. Childress’ testimony should shed more light on the animosity between teams and series executives during the contentious two-plus years of negotiations on a new revenue sharing agreement.

Childress was the subject of derogatory text messages in which NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps called the six-time championship-winning owner a redneck who “needs to be taken out back and flogged.”

The texts came out in the discovery phase of this messy saga in which Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan refused to accept NASCAR’s final offer on a new charter agreement and decided to sue the Florida-based France family, which founded NASCAR in 1948 and privately owns the stock car racing series.

It took Jordan’s testimony Friday to bring the national spotlight to NASCAR, but not for its racing product or its competition. Instead, Jordan is out to prove NASCAR is run by a family of dictators enriching themselves at the expense of the teams and drivers. Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, along with Front Row Racing, were the only two teams out of 15 to refuse the new charter agreements offered in September 2024 with a six-hour deadline to sign the 112-page document.

A charter is similar to the franchise model in other sports, but in NASCAR it guarantees 36 teams spots in the 40-car field, as well as specific revenue.

NASCAR publicly admitted it wants to settle the case in comments made ahead of the November season finale by Phelps, but the first week of testimony in the Western District of North Carolina has revealed Jordan and Front Row owner Bob Jenkins want a combined $340 million in damages.

The case had a dreadfully slow first week in which U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell told both sides to pick up the pace, but as the plaintiffs close in on calling Childress at the start of the second week, it seems certain the trial will carry into a third week as NASCAR remains days away from beginning its defense.

Every twist in the yearlong court battle has been a setback for NASCAR, which maintains it did give teams an improved revenue model from the original 2016 charter agreement and everything it has done is for the benefit of growing the sport.

However, Jenkins has claimed he’s never turned a profit in more than two decades of racing and has stated losses between $70 million and $100 million. Jordan and Hamlin have admitted 23XI Racing has been profitable in its five years of existence, but largely based on Jordan’s ability to draw high-dollar sponsors.

Jordan, who testified he’s a lifelong NASCAR fan, felt as one of the newer owners in a sport in which the top teams have existed for decades, that he was the only one who could actually challenge the France’s on their way of doing business.

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” Jordan testified. “I sat in those meetings with longtime owners who were brow-beaten for so many years trying to make 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.”

Childress is the next high-profile witness expected to be called as early as Monday afternoon. Although he signed the charter agreement, the longtime car owner for the late Dale Earnhardt wanted the charters to become permanent and is headed to court scorned over the revelation of Phelps’ remarks. Although it is believed that Phelps apologized to Childress ahead of the release of the text messages, Childress has threatened legal action.

Among witnesses NASCAR is expected to call are Hall of Fame team owners Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske, two of the most powerful figures in motorsports. Penske tried to set his court appearance schedule by telling NASCAR he was only available to testify Monday, but the plaintiffs objected to Penske being called in the middle of their presentation.

Bell sided with 23XI Racing and Front Row and told NASCAR to work it out with Penske, who as owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar, which recently adopted its charter system, can testify to race sanctioning agreements, the revenue models and financial health of race teams.

Hendrick, a close friend of the France family for decades, is a car salesman and Charlotte local who can use his communication skills to support the theory everyone in racing understands the financials and willingly enters into NASCAR and the France’s business model.

___

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

By JENNA FRYER

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress could be called to the witness stand as early as Monday in the federal antitrust suit lodged against the top motorsports series in the United States. Childress’ testimony should shed more light on the animosity between teams and series executives during the contentious two-plus years of negotiations on a new revenue sharing agreement.

Childress was the subject of derogatory text messages in which NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps called the six-time championship-winning owner a redneck who “needs to be taken out back and flogged.”

The texts came out in the discovery phase of this messy saga in which Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan refused to accept NASCAR’s final offer on a new charter agreement and decided to sue the Florida-based France family, which founded NASCAR in 1948 and privately owns the stock car racing series.

It took Jordan’s testimony Friday to bring the national spotlight to NASCAR, but not for its racing product or its competition. Instead, Jordan is out to prove NASCAR is run by a family of dictators enriching themselves at the expense of the teams and drivers. Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, along with Front Row Racing, were the only two teams out of 15 to refuse the new charter agreements offered in September 2024 with a six-hour deadline to sign the 112-page document.

A charter is similar to the franchise model in other sports, but in NASCAR it guarantees 36 teams spots in the 40-car field, as well as specific revenue.

NASCAR publicly admitted it wants to settle the case in comments made ahead of the November season finale by Phelps, but the first week of testimony in the Western District of North Carolina has revealed Jordan and Front Row owner Bob Jenkins want a combined $340 million in damages.

The case had a dreadfully slow first week in which U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell told both sides to pick up the pace, but as the plaintiffs close in on calling Childress at the start of the second week, it seems certain the trial will carry into a third week as NASCAR remains days away from beginning its defense.

Every twist in the yearlong court battle has been a setback for NASCAR, which maintains it did give teams an improved revenue model from the original 2016 charter agreement and everything it has done is for the benefit of growing the sport.

However, Jenkins has claimed he’s never turned a profit in more than two decades of racing and has stated losses between $70 million and $100 million. Jordan and Hamlin have admitted 23XI Racing has been profitable in its five years of existence, but largely based on Jordan’s ability to draw high-dollar sponsors.

Jordan, who testified he’s a lifelong NASCAR fan, felt as one of the newer owners in a sport in which the top teams have existed for decades, that he was the only one who could actually challenge the France’s on their way of doing business.

“Someone had to step forward and challenge the entity,” Jordan testified. “I sat in those meetings with longtime owners who were brow-beaten for so many years trying to make 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.”

Childress is the next high-profile witness expected to be called as early as Monday afternoon. Although he signed the charter agreement, the longtime car owner for the late Dale Earnhardt wanted the charters to become permanent and is headed to court scorned over the revelation of Phelps’ remarks. Although it is believed that Phelps apologized to Childress ahead of the release of the text messages, Childress has threatened legal action.

Among witnesses NASCAR is expected to call are Hall of Fame team owners Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske, two of the most powerful figures in motorsports. Penske tried to set his court appearance schedule by telling NASCAR he was only available to testify Monday, but the plaintiffs objected to Penske being called in the middle of their presentation.

Bell sided with 23XI Racing and Front Row and told NASCAR to work it out with Penske, who as owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar, which recently adopted its charter system, can testify to race sanctioning agreements, the revenue models and financial health of race teams.

Hendrick, a close friend of the France family for decades, is a car salesman and Charlotte local who can use his communication skills to support the theory everyone in racing understands the financials and willingly enters into NASCAR and the France’s business model.

___

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