Winston & Strawn secured a transformative settlement on behalf of 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports in their high-profile antitrust litigation against NASCAR. Reached mid-trial in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, the agreement delivers long-term structural stability for all NASCAR Cup Series teams and creates the conditions for meaningful competitive and commercial growth across the sport.

Announced jointly by the parties, the resolution affirms a “fair and equitable framework for long-term participation in America’s premier motorsport,” ensuring a unified focus on advancing stock car racing for teams, partners, stakeholders, and—most importantly—fans. As part of the settlement, NASCAR will issue amendments to existing charter agreements incorporating updated terms, including a mutually agreed-upon form of “evergreen” charters.

In court, Winston partner Jeffrey Kessler told Judge Kenneth Bell that the parties had “positively settled this matter in a way that will benefit the industry going forward.”

Following the announcement in court, Jeffrey emphasized the broader significance of the resolution: “We believe it’s a settlement that’s going to grow this sport… and be great for the teams and for NASCAR, but most importantly for the fans. This was never about just 23XI or Front Row—it was about trying to do something that was great for everyone. And as part of this deal, we are going to have evergreen charters that will be available forever.”

The settlement follows eight days of testimony from team owners, NASCAR executives, and industry leaders, and restores the 23XI and Front Row charters for the 2026 season. It also reinforces the parties’ shared commitment to delivering world-class racing, enhanced sponsorship and partner activation opportunities, and sustainable growth for future generations.

The settlement was covered by the following media outlets:

• “NASCAR settles federal antitrust case filed by 2 teams,” ESPN
• “NASCAR, 23XI and Front Row Reach Settlement Ending Antitrust Trial,” Sports Business Journal
• “NASCAR settles federal antitrust case, gives all teams the permanent charters they wanted,” Associated Press
• “NASCAR reaches settlement with 23XI, Front Row to end year-long legal saga,” The Athletic
• “NASCAR lawsuit ends with settlement with Michael Jordan’s race team,” USA Today
• “NASCAR reaches settlement in antitrust lawsuit with Michael Jordan’s racing team and Front Row Motorsports,” CBS Sports
• “NASCAR Inks Midtrial Antitrust Deal With Teams,” Law360
• “NASCAR, Michael Jordan’s Racing Team Settle Antitrust Suit,” Bloomberg Law

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Spire Motorsports named its new competition director for its three NASCAR Cup Series teams, beginning in 2026.

Matt McCall, who previously served as Brad Keselowski’s crew chief at RFK Racing before joining Spire as their director of vehicle performance in 2025, will move up to the role of competition director.

This move quashes a rumor about Joe Gibbs Racing competition director Chris Gabehart leaving JGR for the same role at Spire. Reports indicate, however, that Gabehart is out at JGR ahead of 2026. 

After speculation about its future, Spire’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team will return in 2026.

Brian Pattie will be the No. 7 team’s crew chief and Chad Walter will be the No. 77 team’s crew chief. Kevin “Bono” Manion is back as competition director.

In the NASCAR Cup Series, Ryan Sparks will focus solely on being the crew chief for the No. 7 team and new driver Daniel Suarez in 2026. Sparks first joined the No. 7 team in 2021 with Corey LaJoie and rejoined the team with driver Justin Haley after Rodney Childers left the team in early-2025.

Meanwhile, Spire’s other Cup Series crew chiefs will stay put in 2026. Travis Peterson will work with Michael McDowell for a second year at the No. 71 team while Luke Lambert and Carson Hocevar will return for a third year at the No. 77 team.

Peterson moved from RFK Racing to Front Row Motorsports in 2023 to become McDowell’s crew chief. Their success at FRM spurred McDowell to retain Peterson as his crew chief when he moved to Spire in 2025. 

Lambert is a veteran NASCAR Cup Series crew chief who spent eight seasons as a crew chief for Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman and Daniel Hemric at Richard Childress Racing and two seasons as a crew chief for Chris Buescher and Newman again at RFK Racing.

Then, in 2022, Lambert went back to the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with Noah Gragson in 2022. While Lambert and Gragson had a stellar season and moved up to the Cup Series with Legacy Motor Club in 2023, the 2023 season turned out to be a disaster even before an indefinite suspension sideline Gragson.

In the interim, Hocevar was paired with Lambert for eight races — leading to their current pairing at Spire.

Hocevar and Lambert have seen success, nearly winning multiple races, including the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the races at Nashville Superspeedway and Michigan in June.

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

Elite Motorsports LLC, the largest professional drag racing team in NHRA Championship Drag Racing, has announced Sander Racing Wheels, a leader in manufacturing high-performance wheels across motorsports, as their newest partner.

In what will prove to be a long-term relationship, Sander Racing Wheels, headquartered in Madera, California, will supply the wheels for all of Elite Motorsports’ fielded entries beginning in the 2026 NHRA Drag Racing Series season. This includes Pro Stock machines driven by six-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders, five-time Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., the Top Fuel dragster that will be driven by motorsports icon Tony Stewart and the growing Pro Mod program headlined by Mason Wright.

“We’re excited to bring Sander Racing Wheels on board with Elite. We focus on partnering with companies that share our vision of elevating the sport, and that’s exactly what they do,” said Richard Freeman, owner and President of Elite Motorsports. “We’ve had the opportunity to run their wheels in the past and we’re looking forward to exclusively showing their product on track and bringing more visibility to their brand. Ultimately, we want to help spread their brand across all categories of the sport which is why we’ll be using Sander Racing Wheels across the board in Pro Stock, Top Fuel, the Pro Mod programs and on my brother’s [Royce Lee] Competition Eliminator car.”

“Quality for us is non-negotiable. From cold-spin CNC processes to double heat treatment and billet components, every wheel we make reflects decades of racing experience and a dedication to producing parts that perform when it matters most,” said Jason Meyers, President of Sander Racing Wheels. “Built by racers for racers, we work hard every day to continually improve our products. Partnering with Elite Motorsports lets our craftsmanship compete on the sport’s biggest stages with some of the biggest names and best connections. This is truly a win-win for us.”

Elite Motorsports’ pair of Pro Mod cars are currently running Sanders Racing Wheels at the Drag Illustrated Winter Series (Snowbird Outlaw Nationals December 4-6, U.S. Street Nationals January 22-25 and the World Series of Pro Mod February 25-28) while the Pro Stock and Top Fuel programs will debut the Sanders Racing Wheels at the season opening NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, March 5-8.

This story was originally published on December 12, 2025.

Dana White’s influence on sports entertainment has extended into NASCAR’s world through a major partnership between a leading manufacturer and TKO Group Holdings, the $38 billion powerhouse behind UFC, WWE and PBR. 

White’s deal, foreshadowing the move by wearing a specific shirt last month, marks a significant shift in sports marketing and automotive sponsorship and arrives at a pivotal moment for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as Ram Trucks prepares to return to competition in 2026. 

Ram’s return to NASCAR, its first since the Dodge brand left the sport after the 2012 season, has already been generating buzz, with the manufacturer slated to compete in the Truck Series with Kaulig Racing fielding multiple Ram 1500 entries next year.

But the recent multi-year sponsorship deal with TKO Group Holdings elevates Ram’s sports strategy far beyond racing alone, connecting it with some of the most widely watched live entertainment properties in the world.

Under the agreement, Ram Trucks will become the official truck partner of WWE, UFC and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) beginning in January 2026. 

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That designation gives the brand unprecedented visibility across multiple major platforms, integrating Ram vehicles into live events, broadcasted spectacles, digital content and fan experiences across all three properties.

White, President and CEO of UFC and a leading figure within TKO Group, framed the partnership as a natural alignment between high-performance athletics and a truck brand built on strength and capability. 

“I’m proud to announce that starting in 2026, Ram is becoming the Official Truck Partner of UFC, PBR and WWE,” White said in a statement. “We are talking about three of the biggest sports and entertainment companies in the world teaming up with one of the baddest truck companies in the country. I love the direction Ram is headed in 2026, and I’m very happy to be in business with them.”

Ram will appear throughout broadcasts and live events, with its trucks woven into content featuring UFC fighters, WWE stars and PBR athletes rather than limited to traditional logo placement.

The brand is expected to have a visible presence at major WWE Premium Live Events, including the Royal Rumble in January 2026, along with select UFC pay-per-view cards next year.

By showing up inside WWE arenas, UFC octagons and PBR chutes before bringing that exposure back to NASCAR, Ram is signaling a broader shift in how automakers use sports partnerships to build relevance beyond the racetrack.

https://www.dragracecentral.com:443/DRCStory.asp?ID=414767&NewHash=NHRA-SUMMIT

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