CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A three-judge federal appellate panel ruled Thursday in favor of NASCAR in the antitrust lawsuit filed by two teams, one owned by Michael Jordan, and vacated an injunction that required 23XI and Front Row be recognized as chartered teams as their case snakes through the legal system.

Both race teams sued NASCAR late last year after refusing to sign new agreements on charter renewals. The charter system is similar to franchises in other sports, but the charters are revocable by NASCAR and have expiration dates. 23XI, which is owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, allied with Front Row in suing NASCAR after 13 other organizations signed the renewals last September and those two organization refused.

“We are disappointed by today’s ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and are reviewing the decision to determine our next steps,” said Jeffery Kessler, attorney for 23XI and Front Row. “This ruling is based on a very narrow consideration of whether a release of claims in the charter agreements is anti-competitive and does not impact our chances of winning at trial scheduled for Dec. 1.

“We remain confident in our case and committed to racing for the entirety of this season as we continue our fight to create a fair and just economic system for stock car racing that is free of anticompetitive, monopolistic conduct.”

The two teams sued and asked for a temporary injunction that would recognize them as chartered teams for this season. The antitrust case isn’t scheduled to be heard until December.

The teams said they needed the injunction because the current charter agreement prohibits them from suing NASCAR. 23XI also argued it would be harmed because Tyler Reddick’s contract would have made him a free agent if the team could not guarantee him a charter-protected car.

The original judge ruled that NASCAR’s charter agreement likely violated antitrust law in granting the injunction. But when they heard arguments last month, the three judges at the the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, indicated they were skeptical of that decision.

The judges said in Thursday’s ruling they were not aware of any case that supports the lower court’s theory of antitrust law, so they vacated the injunction.

“In short, because we have found no support for the proposition that a business entity or person violates the antitrust laws by requiring a prospective participant to give a release for past conduct as a condition for doing business, we cannot conclude that the plaintiffs made a clear showing that they were likely to succeed on the merits of that theory,” the court said. “And without satisfaction of the likelihood-of-success element, the plaintiffs were not entitled to a preliminary injunction.”

The teams have 14 days to appeal to the full court. The injunction also has no bearings on the merits of the case, and the earliest NASCAR can treat the teams as unchartered — a charter guarantees their organizations a starting spot each week and prize money — is one week after the deadline to appeal, provided there is no pending appeal.

NASCAR has not said what it would do with the six charters held by the two organizations if they are returned to the sanctioning body. There are only 36 chartered cars for a 40-car field. If the teams do not appeal, the six entries would have to compete as “open” cars — which means they’d have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and they would receive a fraction of the money.

It’s not clear what would happen to Reddick’s contract. He goes to Michigan this weekend ranked sixth in the Cup Series standings. Both organizations are still seeking a win this season — Hamlin’s three victories are with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team he drives for.

Reddick is last year’s regular-season champion and competed for the Cup title last November.

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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

SELINSGROVE, PA – A historic night at Selinsgrove Speedway ended with Stewart Friesen reaching another Super DIRTcar Series milestone. In the Series’ first visit to the Pennsylvania track, the Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON driver led the final 58 laps to win Wednesday’s Snyder County Showdown, becoming the sixth driver in history to earn 50 Series victories.

“This is my life,” Friesen said. “There’s so many great car owners over the years that gave me a shot, put me in their stuff, and took me down the road. I bounced around, and I was able to have really good people behind me. I finally got hooked up with Chris (Larsen) and the Halmar International group, and the last 10 years we’ve been rolling really good. It feels really special, and whenever we can come to Sprint Car country and get a big win, it’s even more special.”

Ryan Krachun, the SRI Performance and Stock Car Steel Pole Award winner, and Louden Reimert led the field to the green in the 75-lap Feature, with Reimert wrestling the lead away as they drove through Turns 1 and 2. Behind them, Friesen, who started fifth, stormed toward the front of the field on the inside, passing Justin Stone, Matt Sheppard, and Krachun to reach second by the end of Lap 1.
Friesen chased Reimert around Selinsgrove’s red clay surface until the race’s first caution flew on Lap 10 for Tim Sears Jr, which proved to be the race’s turning point. When the race resumed on Lap 12, contact between Sheppard and Ryan Godown sent the No. 9S into the outside wall, leading to both cars flipping down the front stretch. That started a chain reaction that led to more flips in Turn 1.

Eleven other cars were involved in the crash, including Sears, who collided with Sheppard and landed on his roof. Bob McGannon. Anthony Perrego, Jimmy Phelps, Todd Root, Darren Smith, Jack Lehner, Mike Mahaney, Matt Stangle, Marcus Dinkins, and Logan Watt were also involved.

Despite the wreck, all 13 drivers involved climbed out of their cars, and Phelps, Lehner, Stangle, Mahaney, and Dinkins rejoined the field.

Reimert continued his lead when the green came back out on Lap 13 but couldn’t pull away from Friesen, who gained momentum on the inside lane. That momentum carried Friesen to the inside of Reimert’s No. 58 car.

However, that momentum wasn’t enough for Friesen to take the lead, so he switched lanes. That change of pace was all he needed as Friesen powered around Reimert in Turn 2 to take the lead on Lap 18.

From there, Friesen went untouched in the final 58 laps despite several yellow flags in the final 20 laps to earn the $10,000 prize and his third Super DIRTcar Series win of 2025.

On those last few restarts, it was a familiar foe, Series points leader Alex Yankowski, who he had to hold off.

“He’s as aggressive as I am on these fast tracks,” Friesen said. “I just wanted to make sure I could enter (Turn 1) on the restarts hard enough. I kind of found a lane ripping the cushion above the cushion early, and then it finally cleaned up enough where I could enter with enough steam to throw a slider, and we were able to hold him at bay.”

The defending Billy Whittaker Cars 200 winner also became the first driver this season to earn a guaranteed starting spot at Super DIRT Week 53, a feat he accomplished for the second consecutive season.

“It’s something we think about all year long,” Friesen said. “It’s the biggest race of the year for a reason. We struggled there for a couple of years, got the first one there at Oswego in 2016, and struggled a little bit until last year to get a good balance. We got a good notebook now; we can fine-tune it a little bit. It’s definitely an exciting week for Modified racing, and we’re just thrilled to be part of it.”

Yankowski crossed the line second, earning back-to-back runner-up finishes and his fourth of 2025. The Covington Township, PA driver closed in on Friesen late in the race, but didn’t have enough momentum to catch the No. 44 before the checkered flag.

“Stew was just lights out,” Yankowski said. “When we got the lead down to a second, our lap times started to match, but when I was close to him, he would just creep away. He was flat-out the better race car tonight. Hats off to those guys.”

With another second-place finish, “Kid Rocket” extended his Series points lead for the second straight night to 24 points over Mat Williamson, who finished third. “Money Mat” drove into a podium position after starting 10th and avoiding the Lap 12 crash.

“I didn’t get to see much of it,” Williamson said. “I was on the inside lane, and I just went to the guardrail and slammed the brakes and tried to go through it slowly and get out of the chaos. Luckily, I didn’t get piledrived from behind and got through it safely. Our guys are really good at making sure we finish races. I feel like it’s going to be our strong suit this year.”

Alex Payne finished fourth, earning his third top five in the last four Series races, and Jimmy Phelps rounded out the top five, after starting 25th, and being involved in the Lap 12 crash.

Reimert, who ran second until he got a flat tire on Lap 40, finished 13th.

The U.S. Court of Appeals has ruled in NASCAR’s favor, after the sanctioning body made an appeal regarding the decision by the District Court to award a preliminary injunction to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports last December.

That injunction, which has permitted 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to compete as Chartered Entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, has been vacated, and now the team’s six collective charters are in limbo.

“We are disappointed by today’s ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and are reviewing the decision to determine our next steps,” said Jeffrey Kessler, lead attorney for 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.

“This ruling is based on a very narrow consideration of whether a release of claims in the charter agreement is anti-competitive and does not impact our chances of winning at trial scheduled for December 1. We remain confident in our case and committed to racing for the entirety of this season as we continue to fight to create a fair and just economic system for stock car racing that is free of anticompetitive, monopolistic conduct.”

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will have a 14-day window to petition for a re-hearing or a hearing in front of all of the appeals judges. Should that route not be taken, the ruling would not be eligible to be enforced until seven days after that deadline.

That 14-day window shuts on June 19, with the seven-day period afterwards (should nothing be done) ending on June 26, meaning that both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports could be without charters for the June 28 event at EchoPark Speedway.

23XI Racing fields the No. 23 for Bubba Wallace, No. 35 for Riley Herbst, and No. 45 for Tyler Reddick. Front Row Motorsports fields the No. 4 for Noah Gragson, the No. 34 for Todd Gilliland, and the No. 38 for Zane Smith.

In court documents filed on Thursday, after the decision was made by Circuit Judges Niemeyer, Agee, and Thacker, the judges made the following statement:

“In entering a preliminary injunction in this case, the district court held that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of their antitrust action against [NASCAR and it’s CEO, James France], because NASCAR, as an alleged monopolist, required the plaintiffs, as a condition of doing business with them, to enter into a release for past conduct,” court documents read. “Because that theory of antitrust law is not supported by any case of which we are aware, we conclude that it was not a likely basis for success on the merits and vacate the injunction.”

The main holdup, though, in allowing this preliminary injunction to stand, comes from the fact that there was no case law cited to support the decision that was made by the original judge.

“The court supplied no case law to support that theory. Indeed, we have found no case to support it, and the defendants claim that there is none. Rather, the court only cited cases holding that it may violate public policy for an agreement to operate ‘as a prospective waiver of a party’s right to pursue statutory remedies for antitrust violations’.

“Finally, the fact that a release may violate public policy by being prospective does not make it anticompetitive, as required for a violation of the antitrust laws.”

As a final statement, the panel of three judges, said: “In short, because we have found no support for the proposition that a business entity or person violates the antitrust laws by requiring a prospective participant to give a release for past conduct as a condition for doing business, we cannot conclude that the plaintiffs made a clear showing that they were likely to succeed on the merits of that theory. And without satisfaction of the likelihood-of-success element, the plaintiffs were not entitled to a preliminary injunction.”

“We therefore conclude that the district court abused its discretion in entering the preliminary injunction that it did. This is all the more true in view of the heightened standard for issuing a mandatory preliminary injunction and because the one here requested two parties engage in a business that one party claims to be illegal.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — (AP) — A three-judge federal appellate panel ruled Thursday in favor of NASCAR in the antitrust lawsuit filed by two teams, one owned by Michael Jordan, and vacated an injunction that required 23XI and Front Row be recognized as chartered teams as their case snakes through the legal system.

Both race teams sued NASCAR late last year after refusing to sign new agreements on charter renewals. The charter system is similar to franchises in other sports, but the charters are revocable by NASCAR and have expiration dates. 23XI, which is owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, allied with Front Row in suing NASCAR after 13 other organizations signed the renewals last September and those two organization refused.

“We are disappointed by today’s ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and are reviewing the decision to determine our next steps,” said Jeffery Kessler, attorney for 23XI and Front Row. “This ruling is based on a very narrow consideration of whether a release of claims in the charter agreements is anti-competitive and does not impact our chances of winning at trial scheduled for Dec. 1.

“We remain confident in our case and committed to racing for the entirety of this season as we continue our fight to create a fair and just economic system for stock car racing that is free of anticompetitive, monopolistic conduct.”

The two teams sued and asked for a temporary injunction that would recognize them as chartered teams for this season. The antitrust case isn’t scheduled to be heard until December.

The teams said they needed the injunction because the current charter agreement prohibits them from suing NASCAR. 23XI also argued it would be harmed because Tyler Reddick’s contract would have made him a free agent if the team could not guarantee him a charter-protected car.

The original judge ruled that NASCAR’s charter agreement likely violated antitrust law in granting the injunction. But when they heard arguments last month, the three judges at the the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, indicated they were skeptical of that decision.

The judges said in Thursday’s ruling they were not aware of any case that supports the lower court’s theory of antitrust law, so they vacated the injunction.

“In short, because we have found no support for the proposition that a business entity or person violates the antitrust laws by requiring a prospective participant to give a release for past conduct as a condition for doing business, we cannot conclude that the plaintiffs made a clear showing that they were likely to succeed on the merits of that theory,” the court said. “And without satisfaction of the likelihood-of-success element, the plaintiffs were not entitled to a preliminary injunction.”

The teams have 14 days to appeal to the full court. The injunction also has no bearings on the merits of the case, and the earliest NASCAR can treat the teams as unchartered — a charter guarantees their organizations a starting spot each week and prize money — is one week after the deadline to appeal, provided there is no pending appeal.

NASCAR has not said what it would do with the six charters held by the two organizations if they are returned to the sanctioning body. There are only 36 chartered cars for a 40-car field. If the teams do not appeal, the six entries would have to compete as “open” cars — which means they’d have to qualify on speed each week to make the race and they would receive a fraction of the money.

It’s not clear what would happen to Reddick’s contract. He goes to Michigan this weekend ranked sixth in the Cup Series standings. Both organizations are still seeking a win this season — Hamlin’s three victories are with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team he drives for.

Reddick is last year’s regular-season champion and competed for the Cup title last November.

___

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

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Buckle up, NASCAR fans, because the racing world is abuzz with the latest news from budding star Toni Breidinger! The young driver is making waves as she gears up to showcase her “self-expression” dream come true at Michigan International Speedway.

Toni Breidinger, known for her impressive skills on the track, has unveiled Coach as the new primary sponsor for the #5 Tricon Garage Toyota. This exciting collaboration will see the luxury fashion house featured on the #5 Toyota Tundra in the upcoming race at Michigan International Speedway, with another appearance planned for Talladega in October.

Having soared through the ranks and impressively finishing fourth in the ARCA Menards standings last year, Breidinger is now fully committed to competing in the NASCAR Truck Series. Her partnership with Coach marks a significant milestone in her career, adding to her already impressive list of high-profile sponsors such as Victoria’s Secret, Raising Cane’s, Sunoco, and Celsius.

In a recent statement, Breidinger expressed her enthusiasm for working with Coach, stating, “Grateful to work with brands who embrace me and my self-expression.” The #5 Toyota Tundra will feature Coach’s signature black and white colors in a striking paint scheme that is sure to turn heads on the track.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Breidinger has been transparent about the difficulties she faces in her rookie Truck Series campaign. With limited practice time and fierce competition, the young driver is navigating new tracks and honing her skills amidst seasoned opponents.

Fans can catch Breidinger in action at the NASCAR Truck race at Michigan International Speedway this Saturday, where she will be behind the wheel of the Coach-sponsored #5 Toyota. Stay tuned as this rising star continues to make her mark on the racing world with style and speed!

Michael Jordan’s racing team, 23XI Racing, has lost a significant legal battle in its effort to compete in the 2025 NASCAR season under a coveted charter system. In a decision issued Thursday, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit overturned an earlier injunction that had temporarily granted the team charter status, marking a setback in Jordan’s broader challenge to NASCAR’s business model.

According to a Bloomberg report, the appeals court determined that the injunction, previously granted by a district court judge, improperly compelled NASCAR to enter agreements with 23XI and Front Row Motorsports that excluded standard legal terms — namely, a litigation release clause. The absence of that clause, the court said, went against typical contractual practices and gave the plaintiffs preferential treatment.

Judge Paul V. Niemeyer, writing for the three-judge panel, concluded that neither 23XI nor the lower court demonstrated how the release clause — a common requirement in NASCAR’s agreements — would harm competition. “Absent anticompetitive conduct in the service of monopoly power,” the opinion stated, businesses remain legally entitled to determine their own terms of engagement.

Related: NASCAR Urges Appeals Court to Overturn Injunctions in Ongoing Charter Dispute

The ruling undercuts the legal claims brought by 23XI and Front Row Motorsports, who sued NASCAR last year alleging the organization operates a monopoly over premier stock car racing in the United States. The suit targeted NASCAR’s charter system, which guarantees teams entry into major races and performance-based earnings — privileges not extended to so-called “open” teams that must qualify for each race individually.

Per Bloomberg, the Fourth Circuit found no credible basis for the lower court’s assumption that NASCAR’s requirement of a legal release amounted to anticompetitive behavior. The opinion emphasized that the release provision was broad and standard, covering a wide range of prior conduct, including any alleged violations of antitrust laws.

Niemeyer, joined by Judges Steven Agee and Stephanie D. Thacker, noted the injunction had no clear precedent and was unlikely to succeed on legal grounds. The panel’s opinion aligns with skepticism Niemeyer had expressed during oral arguments in May.

Attorneys for 23XI and Front Row, including Jeffrey Kessler of Winston & Strawn LLP, declined to comment on the ruling, Bloomberg reported.

The decision now forces 23XI to operate without the guaranteed access to races and financial benefits that charter status affords — a notable blow for a team backed by one of the most recognizable figures in sports.

Source: Bloomberg