Motorsports

What You Don’t Know About the Two People Who Own NASCAR

Published

23 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Today, the anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR—filed by two unhappy teams, one of them led by basketball legend Michael Jordan—entered its ninth day and yielded a surprise settlement, the precise details of which have not been disclosed. Everybody, however, seemed happy on the steps of the courthouse in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the warring parties did everything but link arms and softly sing Kumbaya. Whether they’re happy because they won, or just happy it’s over, remains to be seen. Up to this point, it has been a contentious and uncomfortable battle, with lifelong friendships threatened as bombshell testimony piled up.

What was exposed over the course of the last week, and the settlement itself, were completely unexpected. The sport has been eviscerated as fans pick through the pieces online, and besides the revelation that all NASCAR charters will be permanent from now on, it’s not clear what the future holds for NASCAR. It’s not how the sport’s pioneers, Florida’s France family, mentally mapped the rolling trajectory of NASCAR, which was founded by family patriarch and Daytona Beach gas station owner “Big Bill” France, who stood 6 feet, 5 inches.

He conceived, created, and ran NASCAR. Seventy-seven years later, the France family still runs NASCAR. Jim France, the 81-year-old chairman and CEO and the son of Big Bill, owns 54 percent of NASCAR, and was specifically named in the suit. His niece, Lesa France Kennedy, the 64-year-old daughter of Bill France, Jr. and executive vice-chair of NASCAR, owns 46 percent.

Exactly what NASCAR is worth would be a guess, but the media keeps referring to a 2023 analysis by Goldman Sachs that valued it at $5 billion.

Jim France and Lesa France Kennedy are notoriously private people, visibly uncomfortable when required to speak publicly, as Jim did today as the settlement was announced. Both are also notoriously loyal to their friends.

I’ve been doing this for a while, and I’ll tell you some things you won’t read anywhere else about Jim and Lesa. First, a bit about the Frances that came before them.

In 1947, Big Bill began hosting meetings at the Ebony Bar atop the art-deco Streamline Hotel in Daytona to discuss the formation of a legit racing series for stock cars. Drivers competing at small tracks across the south were being victimized by crooked promoters, who would advertise races with big purses to attract cars and a crowd. At best, the promoter might pay out pennies on the promised dollars. At worst, he would disappear with the proceedings before the checkered flag flew.

Big-Bill-France-Sr-Nascar-Founder — “Big Bill” FranceNascar Media

There existed a few small sanctioning bodies, but France and friends envisioned something larger and more ambitious. They would call it the National Association for Stock Car Racing. NASCAR was officially formed on February 21, 1948. Then everybody had a drink.

NASCAR sanctioned some races for modified cars in 1948, but the template for what we know as NASCAR today was created in June of 1949 with a race in Charlotte, North Carolina, featuring “stock” cars, essentially vehicles straight from the showroom. France noted that fans liked to see cars like the ones they drove compete on the racetrack, and that trajectory was set. The Fords, Toyotas, and Chevrolets in NASCAR Cup racing are still supposed to look like Mustangs, Camrys, and Camaros, though Chevy hasn’t built a single new Camaro since 2023.

Big Bill ruled NASCAR with a firm hand, one that occasionally clutched a revolver when he needed to make a point. He retired in 1972, passing the torch to his son, the comparably imposing Bill France, Jr., who inherited his father’s ability to make other large men feel small.

Big Bill died 20 years later, from Alzheimer’s. He was 82.

The tenure of Bill France, Jr., would be rich and melodramatic. A year before he assumed control of NASCAR, the series cut a deal with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, which had millions to spend, as the federal government was getting tough on tobacco advertising. The top NASCAR class was renamed Winston Cup, and things just went from there.

Eventually, that tenure of Bill Jr. would also be ironic: A longtime smoker, he died of lung cancer.

Bill France Jr. portrait — Bill France, Jr.ISC Archives/CQ-Roll Call Group/Getty Images

Under Bill Jr. and Winston, NASCAR began a steady growth that continued until 1979, the year CBS aired the Daytona 500 live. A snowstorm in the northeast kept people home, and a great many tuned into the race. As you likely know, Richard Petty won, but only after leaders Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crashed into the infield. They were soon joined by Donnie’s brother Bobby, and punches were thrown, viewed live and up close, on CBS. Ratings were huge. NASCAR exploded, in a good way. Everything was great until Dale Earnhardt was killed in the 2001 Daytona 500. NASCAR found out what it would take to get a race driver on the cover of Time magazine.

An ailing Bill Jr. made his son Brian, then 41, the chairman and CEO of NASCAR in 2003. Brian’s time at the wheel was uneven: Unlike his father and grandfather, he never seemed to embrace motorsports, and he didn’t possess their ability to make things happen by sheer will.

Brian did, though, bring NASCAR into the modern age. He welcomed Toyota into NASCAR Cup racing, controversial at the time but prescient. He introduced the “Chase for the Championship” in 2004, which changed the way the season champion was selected. He engineered a hugely lucrative, long-term TV deal.

But Brian didn’t resonate with fans or drivers or team owners the way his father and grandfather did. He seemed to prefer life in Los Angeles or New York City more than little Daytona Beach, and even worse, he didn’t appear to genuinely enjoy racing, and attended less than half the Cup events. There were rumors that he was thinking about moving on.

And then, in August of 2018, on a weekend when NASCAR was racing in Watkins Glen, New York, that decision was made for him. Brian was arrested 250 miles away in Sag Harbor, New York, for DUI. He took an “indefinite leave of absence,” which soon became quite definite.

There were no other young Frances, especially sizable males, prepared to step in and take over. Well, maybe one: Jim France has a son, J.C., that was appropriately sized—he stood 6 feet, 2 inches, was a Junior Olympics weightlifter and had played semipro football—but he really wasn’t cut out for the boardroom. What J.C. wanted to do was race sports cars, and he did, driving for Brumos, the legendary Florida Porsche dealer. Much of J.C.’s racing was as a co-driver for Hurley Haywood, America’s greatest endurance racer, who won the Rolex 24 overall five times and the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times.

In 2004, Haywood told me that J.C., then 38, “stepped into what could have been a very difficult, no-win situation. People may think he’s a spoiled rich kid, but he’s not. He’s a great guy.” J.C. still races historic sports cars, including multiple drives at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.

Said J.C. about his experience working in the family business: “I’ve done everything from paint bathrooms and mow the grass to work in the photography department and in accounting and operations, and then in the NASCAR marketing department.” But to run the whole show? You’ve got the wrong guy.

So, suddenly, Jim France, son of Big Bill but 11 years younger than his brother, Bill Jr., became the reluctant chairman and CEO of NASCAR, replacing his nephew, Brian.

It was not a job he sought.

NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Bill France Senior — Ben Kennedy (L) and J.C. France (L-C) reveal a granite tile bearing Bill France, Sr.’s signature and induction year as Brian France (C) Lesa France Kennedy (R-C) and Jim France (R) look on during the Walk of Fame unveiling at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 20, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina.Chris Keane/NASCAR/Getty Images

Jim went to work for his father when he was 14, graduated from high school in Daytona, and then from college with a business degree in 1968, followed by a stint in the U.S. Army, in Vietnam. On his return, Jim gravitated not to NASCAR but to its sister company, the International Speedway Corporation, which was founded in 1953 by Big Bill to handle the very ambitious construction of Daytona International Speedway. But the publicly-traded ISC (NASCAR itself has always been private) lived long after Daytona opened in 1959, handling the construction of the even-bigger Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, which opened in 1969.

After that, ISC began acquiring tracks, including Darlington Raceway, NASCAR’s oldest oval track; four speedways that had been owned by Roger Penske, plus building tracks, like Kansas Speedway, a project spearheaded by Lesa. At one point, ISC owned 17 tracks, and the majority of them hosted NASCAR events. Most of the non-ISC tracks used by NASCAR are owned by Speedway Motorsports, which owns 11 tracks, including Charlotte Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.

Jim is undeniably a fan of NASCAR’s mostly oval-track racing, but his passion has long been road racing. He formed the Grand American Road Racing Association in 1999, with the series’ anchor race being the most important sports car event in America, the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Grand-Am was battling the Georgia-based American Le Mans Series, founded by Dr. Don Panoz, the deep-pocketed creator of the nicotine patch. Eventually, both men agreed that America isn’t big enough for two competing series, so France bought the ALMS for a rumored $37 million, and merged the two into what is now the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Jim’s niece, Bill Jr.’s daughter Lesa, also seemed to prefer ISC, which she joined in 1983, right out of college. Her march to the top was built on performance; she became ISC’s president in 2003, and CEO in 2009, the year Forbes magazine named her “the most powerful woman in sports.”
In 2019, NASCAR—which was then as it is now, pretty much Jim France and Lesa France Kennedy—voted to buy up ISC’s stock and merge it into NASCAR.

NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports 24 Hours of Le Mans Announcement — Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

I had met Jim France before, but I got to know him a little in January of 2008 at a reception at Richard Childress Racing in North Carolina. RCR had, and still has, a NASCAR team, but that evening it was announced that Childress would field a Pontiac-powered Crawford prototype sports car in France’s Grand-Am sports car series. It was a short-lived effort.

After the presentation, it was time for wine from Childress’ own vineyard, and spirited conversation, something I’m not very good at. Neither is Jim France. I spotted him standing against a wall, by himself, waiting for this to be over. I decided to walk over and introduce myself. What’s the worst that can happen? Well, his security detail might materialize and drag me away, but I took the chance.

And nothing happened. We shook hands and had a congenial conversation. About racing, about motorcycles, about life. Might he be willing to sit for a one-on-one interview after we got back to Florida? Yes, he said, and I was bowled over: He never does that. Not then, not now.

We did several interviews. I’d go to his office, which is several miles from NASCAR headquarters; I’d do an interview, then we’d walk next door to a convenient restaurant. I asked, “Do you own this place?” He just smiled. Over the years I’d see him at NASCAR races, at sportscar races, at New Smyrna Speedway, a Saturday-night short track. He always had time to talk.

Once I saw him having breakfast at a restaurant across the street from the Daytona speedway: I was with John Doonan, France’s handpicked head of the IMSA series, and France was with one of his best friends, Gary Nelson, the Rolex 24-winning crew chief for an IMSA GTP Cadillac in this life; in a previous life, Nelson was Bobby Allison’s crew chief for his 1983 championship-winning NASCAR Cup car, and after that he worked for NASCAR, directing the safety initiative that occurred after the death of Dale Earnhardt in February, 2001.

I wrote a magazine story about Nelson, and I asked him if he’d seen it. “You know, I did, and I took it into Waffle House, opened it up to the story, and laid it down on the counter, and they still charged me for my cup of coffee.” Yes, well.

Nelson and France bonded largely over their love of motorcycle riding. One of France’s close friends was S. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, an avid motorcycle rider and collector. Cathy died in 2014.

Jim France also liked to drive race cars, winning a season championship in a Legends car series that competed mostly on oval tracks. I asked him why, since he was so taken with road racing, he raced in an oval track series? “Well,” he said, “If I’m driving a 10-lap race on a 15-turn road course, I have to learn 150 corners. On an oval track, I just have to remember four.”

My introduction to Lesa France Kennedy was a much sadder affair. She was married to Dr. Bruce Kennedy, an accomplished plastic surgeon, and a nice guy. They had one son, Ben.

On July 10, 2007, a Tuesday, the family was planning to leave the next day to go on a summer vacation. Dr. Kennedy, who loved to fly and held a commercial pilot’s license, took off from the Daytona Beach airport at about 8:30 a.m. for a round trip to Lakeland, an easy hourlong flight. He was accompanied by senior NASCAR pilot Michael Klemm, who had over 10,000 hours of flight time. They were in a twin-engine Cessna 310R, the smallest and slowest of nine airplanes in NASCAR’s corporate aviation division.

Ten minutes into the flight, one of the pilots, we don’t know which one, declared an emergency on the radio, reporting smoke in the cockpit. He asked to land at nearby Orlando Sanford International Airport, and said they were turning off everything electrical. They were cleared to land on any runway at the airport, but it’s doubtful they heard that.

Witnesses reported that smoke was trailing the Cessna as it descended, fast. About three miles short of the airport, the Cessna brushed some trees, clipped a house, crashed into two more houses, and caught fire. Both men aboard were killed, as were three people on the ground, and three more suffered serious burns.

In the National Transportation Safety Board’s 35-page report, the stated cause was an electrical fire under the plane’s instrument panel. Wiring on the 1977 plane was insulated with PVC—polyvinyl chloride—a substance that is no longer used for that. When PVC catches fire, it produces a thick, toxic smoke. There was evidence that one of the pilots had held the door open, likely trying to get the smoke out of the cockpit. It seems likely the pilots were either blinded by the smoke or losing consciousness when they crashed.

Especially confounding is that another NASCAR pilot flew the Cessna back from North Carolina the day before. An hour into that flight, the weather radar screen went blank, and the pilot smelled smoke. He pulled a circuit breaker, cutting power to the radar, and the burning smell went away. On arrival in Daytona, he wrote his experience up in the logbook and reported the issue to maintenance. The NTSB report said that nothing was done and criticized the decision to allow the plane to fly the next day.

It was horrible. Lesa and Ben mourned the best they could. It was a long road back.

Then, something remarkable happened. Prior to the crash, the Kennedys’ son Ben, had shown an interest in racing, and his father bought him a quarter-midget, and took him to a tiny oval track inside New Smyrna Speedway’s bigger half-mile track. The quarter-midget track was built with help from former NASCAR driver Mark Martin, to give his son, Matt, a place to race.

Though Dr. Kennedy was no mechanic, he’d do his best to adjust the chain, air up the tires, and change the spark plug and cheer on his only child.

Jim France spoke to Lesa: Do you think Ben might like to try to get back into racing? The answer was yes. Mark Martin got involved, and before long, Ben moved up to a full-sized Pro Truck series that used crate V-8 engines, then into a late model, then into the K&N touring series. They were working out of a shop Martin built for son Matt’s racing, but Matt preferred video games, Martin told me. So Mark and a small pit crew began helping Ben.

Several rungs of the ladder that Ben was climbing took place at Orlando Speedworld, a paved oval where I often raced. Lesa was always there with her son. I did an interview with Lesa and Ben—the first one they’d given after losing Bruce. I remember asking Ben one last question: Do you think your dad would be proud? Yes, he said. I think he would.

Ben began racing late models at the very fast New Smyrna Speedway’s banked oval. Occasionally I’d sit on the splintery wooden pit grandstands with Lesa, where I learned we had something in common: We both bit our nails, and were trying to quit. That wasn’t happening as she watched Ben race: One night, he crashed so hard one of his shoes came off. Lesa was inconsolable until she saw Ben climb from the car.

Ben Kennedy Xfinity series — Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

Ben managed to race and still earn his college degree, but he was faced with a decision: Keep racing, or join the family business? He chose racing, at least for a while, moving into the NASCAR truck series in 2013, then in 2017, into the Xfinity series, one step away from the NASCAR Cup series.

Ben was fast everywhere he went, but in January of 2018, he finally traded his fire suit for a business suit. There’s no denying that it had been a long time since a France had participated in NASCAR racing, which gave Ben—and Lesa as well—an up-close look at what it takes to race at a high level.

Ben is now 33, and he’s currently the NASCAR executive vice-president and chief venue and racing innovations officer. He is very well-regarded at work, still owns a late model team, and may be in line to succeed Jim as the head of NASCAR one day.

NASCAR Executive Ben Kennedy — Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

That’s assuming the France family continues to stand at the helm of the sport, which is more likely as a result of this settlement, but not a sure thing. That the dynasty has lasted this long is amazing; that NASCAR remains entirely in the hands of two members of the France family is astonishing. The battle with basketball legend Michael Jordan, NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, and Jordan’s business partner Curtis Polk has been a bruiser to say the least.

They sought a bigger slice of the NASCAR pie for the three-car team they own, 23XI Racing. Almost a footnote is the fact that 23XI was joined in the suit by Front Row Racing, a plucky three-car team with drivers you have never heard of that belongs to Tennessee restaurateur Bob Jenkins, who owns some 250 fast-food restaurants. Jenkins testified that he has lost $100 million keeping Front Row afloat, so of course he wanted more money from NASCAR, too.

The suit was basically two-pronged: One was that 23XI and Front Row claim NASCAR is an illegal monopoly. Judge Kenneth Bell ruled before the trial even began that NASCAR is indeed a monopoly; plaintiff’s lawyers just have to prove that it’s an illegal one. The settlement seems to put that to rest.

The second prong was a little more complex. In 2016, NASCAR began the charter system. The teams, which were always categorized as independent contractors, long argued that even the best among them owned only their shop and soon-to-be obsolete race cars; they needed something from NASCAR to give them stability. Something they can sell, the way the NFL’s franchise system gives the Dallas Cowboys or Kansas City Chiefs value, should the owners ever put the teams on the market.

NASCAR executives and board members join the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series charter owners 2016 — NASCAR executives and board members join the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series charter owners for a historic portrait in Victory Lane in advance of the 58th annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, 2016.Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR/Getty Images

So NASCAR gave its full-time teams charters, one charter per car, up to a total of 36. Four-car teams got four charters, one-car teams got one. Each of the 36 chartered cars was guaranteed a spot in every race, no matter how slow they qualified. This means that their sponsors would never miss a race, and teams would know they will get a check after each race, with a base of about $185,000. NASCAR left four starting spots open, making for a field of 40, should a handful of unchartered teams show up.

In the decade the charter system has been in place, some teams have left, and others have arrived. Up until today, those new teams had two choices—they could either try to make it as one of the four unchartered cars, but that’s a precarious place to plant your flag. Or they could buy one (or two, or three) of the 36 charters from teams that are either downsizing or quitting altogether, thus guaranteeing a revenue stream from NASCAR, and that even the newest team’s car will be on TV for every race, which should impress sponsors.

Overnight, those “free” charters were worth more than $1 million apiece. And the price keeps climbing. Prior to the 2024 season, Spire Motorsports paid $40 million for Live Fast Motorsports’ charter.

Today, ESPN reported that NASCAR and Michael Jordan announced that the charters would now be permanent—a central point of contention between teams and NASCAR. NASCAR had reserved the right to review the charter allocation and revoke one or more charters if it chooses.

The charter deal that all but those two teams signed last year had been set to run through 2031, with an option for seven more years. Team owners wanted charters that can’t be revoked, period, which they believe would substantially increase the value of the charters. Any team wanting to race in the NASCAR Cup series would have to buy a charter from someone, and nobody knows what a permanent charter will cost, but it would be a lot more than $40 million.

We’re a long way from what Big Bill France envisioned, as he sat in the Ebony Bar in 1949, wondering where it would all lead.

Apparently, it led here. Is that a good thing, or a bad one? We’ll know the repercussions soon enough.

Ed. note: This story has been updated to reflect the outcome of today’s settlement.

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Motorsports

Michael Jordan response spoke volumes after NASCAR financial advisor w – Motorsport – Sports

Published

7 minutes ago

December 14, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Michael Jordan has never built his legacy by playing scared, and the same mindset followed him into the most consequential legal fight NASCAR has seen in decades.

Fresh off helping lead a lawsuit that forced the sport into a settlement, Jordan’s reaction to a financial warning revealed exactly why he was willing to push so hard. With a net worth estimated at $3.8 billion, the six-time NBA champion was advised about the potential cost of expanding 23XI Racing deeper into NASCAR’s grid.

Jordan quickly dismissed the concern with a line that felt perfectly on brand. Jordan reportedly told his financial advisor he had lost that kind of money in a casino before and was ready to do it again if it meant moving forward.

NASCAR, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports settled after nine days in court and months of accusations centered on monopolistic practices tied to the charter system. Judge Bell openly praised the decision to settle, calling it innovative and beneficial for the future of NASCAR, the teams, and the fans.

Court documents indicate that running a NASCAR team costs approximately $20 million annually. Additionally, the sanctioning organization lost a total of $55 million from its Chicago street races. Starting in 2023, 23XI Racing fielded Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, expanded to three cars in 2025 with Riley Herbst, and introduced Corey Heim as a development driver.

Herbst was announced 10 days after Joey Logano’s victory in the Phoenix Cup Series, highlighting Jordan’s resolve to succeed despite financial difficulties. The mention of the casino wasn’t coincidental, considering online reports about Jordan’s gambling habits after retiring from the NBA.

One of the most publicized gambling stories of Jordan’s career came during the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks, when he and his father drove to Atlantic City the night before Game 2. Reports claimed Jordan gambled until the early morning hours in a narrative he later downplayed.

The Bulls lost that game, but Jordan responded with a series-defining run that included a 54-point Game 4 performance and ultimately another championship. It became part of Jordan’s mythology long before he became a NASCAR owner.

That same edge carried into Jordan’s official statement after the NASCAR settlement. The Bulls legends said the lawsuit was about progress and ensuring the sport evolves in a way that supports teams, drivers, partners, employees, and fans.

He framed the agreement as a foundation for fairness, investment, and empowering teams to have a stronger voice in the future, emphasizing growth over past victories. NASCAR is now turning its attention to 2026, beginning with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1, followed by the Daytona 500 on February 15.

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Cetilar team wins season opener in Sepang

Published

23 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The 2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series kicked off with an action-packed 4 Hours of Sepang Race 1 on December 13, 2025, at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Unpredictable weather, multiple safety car periods, and late-race drama delivered nail-biting finishes across all three classes: LMP2, LMP3, and GT.

–by Mark CIpolloni–

Rain in the opening hour forced teams into tricky strategic decisions, compounded by four safety cars and two full course yellows. The result? Extremely close battles, with mere seconds separating the top finishers in each category.

LMP2: Cetilar Racing Overcomes Penalty for Victory

Cetilar Racing’s No. 47 Oreca 07, driven by Roberto Lacorte, Charles Milesi, and Antonio Fuoco, claimed overall victory despite a five-second penalty for a full course yellow infringement.

Early on, the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca led, ahead of United Autosports and Algarve Pro Racing entries. By mid-race, United Autosports held a 1-2 lead, but pit stops and strategy shuffled the order.

Charles Milesi powered the Cetilar car up the field, handing over to Antonio Fuoco, who built a lead before serving the penalty during a final fuel stop. Fuoco rejoined ahead of Tom Dillmann in the No. 25 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca and held on under intense pressure.

**LMP2 Podium:**
1. No. 47 Cetilar Racing
2. No. 25 Algarve Pro Racing
3. No. 4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR (Malthe Jakobsen)

LMP3: Inter Europol Snatches Win from the Back

Chaos struck the LMP3 class early, with a multi-car incident in Turn 2 damaging half the field. Two cars retired on the spot, while others rejoined laps down.

CLX Motorsport initially dominated, building a lap lead, but a damaged panel cost them time. This opened the door for Inter Europol Competition’s No. 13 Ligier, starting from the rear, to charge through.

Henry Cubides (sharing with Alex Bukhantsov and Jimmy Chou) fended off a fierce late challenge from Callum Voisin in High Class Racing’s No. 94, winning by just 0.218 seconds in the debut race for the new Gen3 LMP3 cars.

**LMP3 Podium:**
1. No. 13 Inter Europol Competition
2. No. 94 High Class Racing
3. No. 17 CLX Motorsport

GT: Post-Race Penalty Decides Dramatic Finish

The GT class delivered the most spectacle, culminating in last-corner contact and a stewards’ decision.

Early leaders QMMF by GetSpeed (No. 37 Mercedes-AMG) fell back due to penalties, promoting teammates in the No. 9 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG driven by Fabien Schiller.

Late fuel stops mixed things up, with Schiller battling Loek Hartog in the No. 10 Manthey Porsche. On the final lap, the cars made contact in the last corner—both continued, and Hartog initially crossed the line first by 1 second, ahead of Jonny Adam in the No. 56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin.

However, stewards penalized the Manthey Porsche for the incident, reversing the top two positions. (Stewards Decision no45)

**GT Podium:**
1. No. 9 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG
2. No. 10 Manthey Porsche
3. No. 56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin

The series continues with Race 2 at Sepang tomorrow, promising more excitement in this record-breaking season.

Results of the 4 Hours of Sepang Race 1

03_Classification_Race 1

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. made feelings clear on NASCAR charters before trial – Motorsport – Sports

Published

1 hour ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Dale Earnhardt Jr. laid out a clear warning about the future of NASCAR’s business model just days before a landmark settlement granted permanent status to team charters, a development poised to reshape the sport’s economic landscape.

At the center of a federal antitrust lawsuit were NASCAR’s charter agreements, contracts that guarantee teams entry into races and a share of revenue.

In late 2024 and into 2025, most Cup Series teams signed a new Charter Agreement, but Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports held out and sued NASCAR, alleging the system was unfair and anti-competitive, eventually resulting in Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin receiving financial payment as part of the settlement.

The lawsuit went to trial in December, and by Thursday, both sides reached a settlement that will make charters permanent moving forward.

Under the terms of the settlement, all existing charters will become “evergreen,” a term used to describe permanent, franchise-style rights to compete, ending temporary lease structures that had been the norm.

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Earnhardt addressed what that change could mean on his podcast this week, offering one of the clearest voices on the issue just before the settlement was announced.

“If the charter remains nothing more than a guaranteed entry into a single event, I think then values remain where they are today,” he said.

“What the teams have recognized are if those charters were to become permanent and therefore basically a franchise, the values are well north of $150 million. So, you’re sitting there with a charter that’s worth let’s say $25 million and by the stroke of Jim France’s pen, it will now be $150 million.”

Earnhardt didn’t just focus on valuation. He predicted a structural shift in how people approach competition in NASCAR. “If that happens, there is no going back. Like, it changes the sport forever,” he said, pointing to the barrier permanent charters would create for new entrants.

“You’ll basically have 36 franchises — however many cars start a race — they’ll be the franchises, owned and valued and they will sell and trade from one entity to another over the course of decades and centuries, however long this goes. They’ll be a gigantic barrier of entry.”

Those remarks came just days before news broke that NASCAR and the two holdout teams reached an accord, effectively ending a contentious trial. The settlement confirms that charters will be permanent, a core demand of the plaintiffs, and returns charters to 23XI and Front Row for the 2026 season along with other concessions tied to revenue sharing and governance rights.

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FIA, Formula 1 and 11 F1 teams sign 9th Concorde Agreement

Published

1 hour ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

On December 12, 2025, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Formula 1 Group, and all 11 Formula 1 teams officially signed the ninth Concorde Agreement, extending the championship’s governance and commercial framework through the end of the 2030 season.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

This agreement completes a two-part process: the commercial aspects were finalized in March 2025 between Formula 1 and the teams, including the incoming Cadillac entry as the 11th team. The governance portion, involving the FIA, was signed this week, marking a new era of collaboration between the governing body and the commercial rights holder.

The Concorde Agreement, first introduced in 1981, defines the regulatory, governance, and financial terms under which teams compete, including revenue distribution and rule-making processes. The new deal emphasizes stability, sporting fairness, technological innovation, and operational excellence amid the sport’s ongoing growth, with record viewership and expanding global reach.

Key provisions include increased financial contributions to the FIA, enabling investments in race regulation, direction, stewarding, and technical expertise. Reports indicate this addresses rising operational costs for the FIA, such as those related to the cost cap and the push for more consistent stewarding.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated: “The ninth Concorde Agreement secures the FIA Formula One World Championship’s long-term future… This agreement allows us to continue modernizing our regulatory, technological, and operational capabilities.”

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali added: “Today is an important day for Formula 1… This agreement ensures that Formula 1 is in the best possible position to continue to grow around the world.”

The signing comes ahead of major changes in 2026, including new power unit regulations and Cadillac’s grid debut. While the agreement has been praised for providing stability, some reports note fan criticism over specific details, such as a mandatory FIA logo on car noses starting in 2026 and adjustments to voting structures in the F1 Commission that give the FIA and Formula 1 Group more influence on regulations. These elements have sparked debate among supporters, though official statements focus on the deal’s role in aligning stakeholders for sustained development.

Controversy

There is controversy surrounding the ninth Concorde Agreement, signed on December 12, 2025 because that is just the way British fans and the British run F1 are when they don’t control something. They cannot control the FIA and they hate it.

It primarily centers on a new 2026 regulation requiring every Formula 1 car to display an FIA logo on the nose (at least 75mm high and visible from the side), which is embedded in the governance section of the agreement. This has been portrayed in media reports as an emblem of perceived FIA overreach, especially under President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s leadership, amid broader changes like increased financial contributions from teams to the FIA (estimated at an additional $15 million annually for enhanced stewarding and regulation) and adjustments to F1 Commission voting thresholds that reduce team influence on rule changes.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Stefano Domenicali shake on the new F1 Concorde Agreement. Photo courtesy of Liberty Media but modified to show an F1 car with the FIA logo

Evidence of the backlash includes:

– Media Coverage: Articles from sources like Pro Football Network and Autosport describe it as a “widespread F1 fan revolt” triggered by the logo mandate, noting it exacerbates tensions between the FIA and fans. The rule is seen as prioritizing FIA branding and funding over sport integrity, with fans labeling it “ridiculous” and accusing the organization of treating teams like billboards while charging entry fees.

– Social Media Reactions: Recent posts on X (from December 12-13, 2025) show high engagement on critical content. For instance:
– An Autosport announcement of the logo rule garnered over 1,995 likes, 244 replies, and 251 quotes, with many replies expressing outrage (e.g., calling it “dictatorial” or “North Korea-like”).
– Other posts, such as one from @formula1god (“SOMEBODY PLEASE STOP THESE INSANE DICTATORS”) and @cytrusf1 (comparing it to authoritarianism), received hundreds of likes and replies each.
– Neutral announcements of the agreement signing saw lower engagement, while logo-specific criticisms often exceeded 400-800 likes and dozens of replies, indicating focused discontent.

FIA Press Release

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, and Formula 1 Group, the Commercial Rights Holder, have today announced the signing of the Concorde Governance Agreement, a crucial contract defining the regulatory framework and governance terms of the FIA Formula One World Championship until 2030. This follows the announcement in March that the 2026 Commercial Concorde Agreement had been signed by all the teams and Formula 1 Group. Together, these agreements constitute the ninth Concorde Agreement, representing a major step forward in the professionalisation and global development of the sport.

First introduced in 1981, the Concorde Agreements are designed to promote sporting fairness, technological innovation and operational excellence, and align all key stakeholders around a shared vision for structured governance and continued growth of the sport. Each iteration of the Concorde Agreements has shaped the FIA Formula One World Championship into the global spectacle it is today.

The ninth Concorde Agreement announced today marks the beginning of a new era of collaboration between the FIA and Formula 1 Group, who have worked together to write the next chapter in Formula 1 history, demonstrating mutual respect, transparency and shared purpose between the two organisations. It confirms the participation of all FIA Formula One World Championship teams, including the incoming Cadillac Formula 1 team, through the end of the decade, and provides a stable foundation for the sporting and technical evolution of the sport.

The Concorde Agreement underscores the commitment of the FIA, Formula 1 Group and all teams to continue growing and developing the sport, and to keep driving the momentous expansion it has seen in recent years. The new contract enables the FIA to invest further in improved race regulation, race direction, stewarding and technical expertise for the benefit of the Championship, and means the sport can continue to evolve, providing exciting technological innovation and sporting action for fans, broadcasters and partners, all within a stable and structured regulatory framework. Combined with record viewership growth, a dynamic race calendar, and increasing engagement from younger audiences, the FIA Formula One World Championship enters this next chapter with unprecedented momentum.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, said: “The ninth Concorde Agreement secures the FIA Formula One World Championship’s long-term future and I am proud of the dedication that has been invested in this process. I would like to thank Stefano Domenicali and his team in what has been a strong collaboration, building a framework grounded in fairness, stability, and shared ambition. This agreement allows us to continue modernising our regulatory, technological, and operational capabilities, including supporting our race directors, officials, and the thousands of volunteers whose expertise underpin every race. We are ensuring that Formula 1 remains at the forefront of technological innovation, setting new standards in global sport.”

Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1 Group, said: “Today is an important day for Formula 1. As we celebrate seventy-five years of this incredible sport, we are proud to write the next chapter in our long and amazing history. This agreement ensures that Formula 1 is in the best possible position to continue to grow around the world. I want to thank the President of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem and all the teams for the collaboration and determination to achieve the best results for the entire sport in our discussions. We have a huge amount to be proud of, but we also are focussed on the opportunities and exciting potential for Formula 1 in the years ahead.”

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Motorsports

NASCAR Antitrust Fight Ends With Major Changes to Cup Series Charters

Published

2 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

NASCAR Antitrust Lawsuit, 23XI RACING, FRONT ROW MOTORSPORT

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DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 31: Michael Jordan, NBA Hall of Famer and co-owner of 23XI Racing looks on during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on August 31, 2025 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The NASCAR antitrust settlement reached on December 11, 2025, ended a legal battle that pulled the sport into federal court and forced a closer look at its business model. The lawsuit was filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The dispute centered on NASCAR’s charter system and the level of control the sanctioning body holds over Cup Series teams.

A key ruling confirmed NASCAR has “monopoly/monopsony power” in the market for premier stock car racing services. That decision narrowed the case and helped push both sides toward a settlement that changes charter ownership, revenue sharing, and team rights across the Cup Series.

Court ruling that reshaped the case

The lawsuit followed failed charter negotiations in September 2024. NASCAR presented teams with a 112-page charter agreement and gave them one day to sign. The deal guaranteed race entry and revenue but did not offer permanent charters. While most teams signed, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports refused and chose to sue. Both teams competed for much of the 2025 season without charters.

On November 4, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell issued a summary judgment under Section 2 of the Sherman Act. He ruled that NASCAR does possess “monopoly/monopsony power in the relevant market” for premier stock car racing services. This ruling removed the need to argue whether NASCAR controlled the market and shifted the case to whether that control was used in an illegal way.

Judge Bell also rejected NASCAR’s argument that teams could easily move to other racing series. In his written “In opposing Plaintiffs’ relevant market, NASCAR now contends that the same motorsports that could not supply racing teams to the Cup Series are suddenly readily available substitutes for the Cup Series teams, like Plaintiffs, to sell their services. Not only is it illogical, but there is no record evidence that racing teams in various motorsports can only move from NASCAR to another motorsport but not vice-versa, Bell said.”

The trial began on December 1. After nine days of testimony, settlement talks accelerated. Judge Bell later spoke directly to the jury, saying, “I wish we could’ve done this a few months ago. I believe this is great for NASCAR. Great for the future of NASCAR. Great for the teams and ultimately great for the fans.”

Evidence and testimony during the trial

During the trial, teams presented internal NASCAR communications and testimony related to charter talks. Team owners described the final offer as “take-it-or-leave-it” and said it did not meet key demands, especially the push for permanent charters.

Michael Jordan, co-owner of 23XI Racing, said the lawsuit focused on the long-term health of the sport. “The lawsuit was about making sure NASCAR evolves in a way that supports everyone: teams, drivers, partners, employees, and fans, Jordan said.”

Denny Hamlin, Jordan’s partner at 23XI, explained why the team accepted the risks of going to court. “Racing is all I’ve ever known, and this sport shaped who I am. Hamlin said, That’s why we were willing to shoulder the challenges that came with taking this stand.”

What teams gain from the NASCAR antitrust settlement

The settlement applies to all 36 Cup Series teams. The most important change is the creation of permanent, or “evergreen,” charters. These charters cannot be taken away as long as teams meet standard conditions, giving owners long-term security.

Teams will also receive new revenue. For the first time, teams will get a share of NASCAR’s international media rights income. They will also receive one-third of revenue from new business deals that use the team’s intellectual property, including merchandise.

Governance rules also change. A reinstated five-strike rule allows teams to block rule changes that would cost at least $500,000 per car. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the settlement includes compensation for 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports after racing without charters in 2025.

Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce

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Motorsports

Dale Earnhardt Jr. ‘surprised’ NASCAR was threatened by SRX

Published

2 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Before the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports v. NASCAR antitrust lawsuit was settled during the trial, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and sister/business partner Kelley Earnhardt-Miller took to their podcast studio to discuss some of their thoughts at the time.

One of those topics was the revelation that NASCAR felt threatened by a certain degree by the Superstar Racing Experience and even reacted to it by ‘locking down’ tracks with extensive sanctioning agreements.

Its top executives even made clear how frustrated they felt by SRX both within documents uncovered by the discovery process but also during testimony during the trial itself.

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Earnhardt, talking on the Dale Jr. Download expressed surprise that NASCAR felt so strongly about SRX.

“I gotta be honest, this shocked me,” Earnhardt said on Tuesday’s Dale Jr. Download. “I want to say that I’m a big fan, and I think I’m a good friend with Ray Evernham. When he started talking about SRX and what he wanted to do, in his mind, he wanted to re-create IROC. The initial idea of SRX as a series that would go into these local markets, and you would bring out these retired guys and some unique personalities, different forms of racing and offer up a car to the local hero. The original idea of SRX, in my mind, was a good idea. I will say, though, I wasn’t interested in it, personally. Out of the gate, I just didn’t have the bandwidth to get into it. I wasn’t a fan; I didn’t really watch too much of it. … No offense to anybody out there that was SRX fans or anybody that worked in the series… but I wasn’t into it.

“To hear that they were even remotely the least bit threatened is so surprising to me because they’re this giant that’s NASCAR and SRX is just this little thing. They were like 12 cars just barely getting by financially. They’re tearing up so much shit, they had no idea they were gonna tear up so much shit. In the end, they couldn’t make the money work. SRX went away because it’s expensive to operate and the viewership numbers didn’t justify the TV contract and the TV contract couldn’t afford the series, so it just financially didn’t really work.”

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During the trial, now NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell explained why he said he wanted the legal department from the Sanctioning Body to look at NASCAR. He said it looked more and more like NASCAR when Cup Series drivers and their sponsors started to compete in the mid-week summer short and dirt track series.

However, O’Donnell also testified that legal said there wasn’t nothing to take action against.

Regardless, Earnhardt just didn’t understand why this was even a topic of consideration.

“I am surprised by the some of the comments I read from O’Donnell and a couple people of, ‘Man we gotta put an end to this or we gotta go take a look at this.’ Why are we worried? I don’t care [about the ratings], people were gonna be curious. … I’m not alarmed by that. … I was really surprised by that,” Earnhardt said. “I never saw, no disrespect, but I never would’ve worried or considered SRX a problem.

“I would’ve looked at what they were doing… why do people like it and can we work together? It was interesting because it did morph. You had drivers like Denny, Chase, and Blaney, but Chase goes over there to race with his dad, have a little fun. Blaney with his dad. They were getting paid to go out there and do it for a little bit of money.”

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Wilkesboro and Bowman Gray

Earnhardt directly was even pulled into the internal NASCAR debate as Phelps, O’Donnell and SVP of Strategy Scott Prime concluded the Sanctioning Body needed to schedule races at North Wilkesboro and Bowman Gray Stadium before SRX had a chance to do it with the retired superstar.

From the aforementioned June 2022 text message exchange between the three:

O’Donnell: Wait until (Dale) Jr. says he is running an event. Matter of time. They will go to North Wilkesboro with Jr. if we are not careful. We need to be the first back.
Prime: Agreed – North Wilkesboro and Bowman Gray next year with Jr and friends if we don’t make moves
O’Donnell: How about this for All Star – make it a combo – Bowman and Wilkes Fri/Sun
Prime: Sick! And flip it for 2024. We’ve got moves to make. Just need to sell them through. Should be a good working session Thursday

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Wilkesboro and Bowman Gray eventually were added to the Cup Series schedule in 2023 and 2025 respectively.

However, Earnhardt said the former is to the credit of Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith and the state of North Carolina’s Build Back Better fund contribution.

“Listen, there is a lot of stuff about NASCAR in all of this that I don’t know,” Earnhardt said. “I don’t know everything about how they run things, and I certainly didn’t know how they felt about some things, and how these text messages have unveiled some things. But I’ll tell you what I do know, is that North Wilkesboro came back because of Marcus Smith … NASCAR, you know, they didn’t play any role. Now, they have to go, when Marcus comes up and says, ‘Man, I’ve got this track back together, I want to put it on the schedule.’ They’ve gotta go, ‘Okay, good.’

“But, look, NASCAR never was going, ‘Guys, we gotta get Wilkesboro going.’ This isn’t a knock to them, you know, this isn’t a knock to them, they shouldn’t take this as an insult, but Wilkesboro is back because of everybody else. The government, our local government, and the town, a lot of volunteers. Fucking, 20 years of volunteers, people just like even keeping the grass mowed for 20 years. All of those reasons, the fact that they kept the track in somewhat reasonable shape, to even be considered to be brought back. Those people should be commended. You know, we can go on about this.”

Earnhardt-Miller also said her brother deserved credit for getting CARS Tour involved and his driving in a race that drew 20,000 fans even before NASCAR and SMI scheduled the All-Star Race.

He wouldn’t accept it, but it’s objectively true that his star power contributed to the success of an event dubbed ‘Race Track Revival.’