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The basketball icon, introducing himself formally in a Charlotte court on Friday, stated that his drive to win and novelty within the sport emboldened his push for 23XI Racing to confront Nascar over perceived violations of competition laws.

Team Investment and a Will to Win

The owner disclosed financial and corporate details of his racing venture, revealing he invested $40 million of his personal wealth into the Nascar Cup series team co-founded with partner Polk and driver Hamlin.

“It fell to someone to act,” Jordan stated during testimony. “As a newcomer, I had no fear. I believed I could take on Nascar in its entirety. I felt as far as the sport it needed to be looked at from a different view.”

Central Issue: Franchise System and Contract Pressure

At issue is the end of a 2016 deal where Nascar provided each team a franchise. The concept is similar to other professional sports with independent franchises, such as the Charlotte Hornets or the NFL’s Panthers. The agreement was set to expire in 2024 when Nascar demanded charter membership renewals.

Jordan testified for about sixty minutes and left the court to pandemonium, with onlookers and reporters clamoring for a glimpse or a picture of the global icon.

Spearheading the Fight

Jordan’s 23XI is leading the full-court press along with Front Row Motorsports for Nascar to change a business model Jordan contended is breaking the law to maintain excessive control.

For Jordan and and Heather Gibbs, who testified before Jordan, are events from last September. Gibbs described a hectic and tense six hours where the sanctioning body told teams they had to sign a contract extension. This agreement spanned 112 pages detailing pay for chartered teams and a guaranteed entry in Nascar-sponsored races.

A Refusal to Sign

Jordan explained that his team and its ally decided their only feasible option was to decline to sign that 112-page package and take the issue to court. The other 13 organizations agreed to the terms.

The team owners reached out to Nascar about possible changes or negotiations. Nascar wasn’t talking, according to his testimony.

The Ultimate Motivation: Victory

But in the end, the pushback against what he saw as a financially unsustainable model was driven by the usual bottom line for Jordan: Success.

“Hamlin persuaded me getting a third driver boosted our odds of winning,” he said, noting that he purchased another franchise last year for $28m despite the uncertainty. “So I took the plunge.”

Account from the Gibbs Family

Gibbs described her push for indefinite franchises, submitted in a formal letter to Nascar. She testified the pressure of the contract signing demand was problematic.

According to her, the team founder first attempted to call and talk Nascar out of demanding signatures, but CEO Jim France refused the appeal.

“Don’t do this to us,” Gibbs recounted Joe Gibbs told Nascar’s executives. The response was, “Whether I have 20 charters, that’s what I have. If there are 30, I have 30.”