It was another busy week in the courtroom as the legal battle between 23XI Racing/Front Row Motorsports and NASCAR continued. Here’s what happened.
- On Monday (July 14), the teams filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction as a last-ditch effort to keep their charters. The teams cited new evidence as the basis for the filing, stating that NASCAR would immediately sell their charters, putting the teams at risk of going out of business.
- NASCAR filed a statement in response, saying, “It is unfortunate that instead of respecting the clear rulings of the Fourth Circuit, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are now burdening the District Court with a third motion for another unnecessary and inappropriate preliminary injunction. As both the Fourth Circuit and the District Court suggested, NASCAR has made multiple requests to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to present a proposal to resolve this litigation. We have yet to receive a proposal from 23XI or Front Row, as they have instead preferred to continue their damaging and distracting lawsuit.”
- On Wednesday (July 16), NASCAR filed a response, saying that the teams relinquished their charters by not signing the 2024 charter agreement. Both teams will run uncharted at Dover and Indianapolis and have completed the paperwork to do so for the remainder of the 2025 season.
- On Thursday (July 17), a judge denied the teams the temporary restraining order that would allow them to compete as chartered entries.
- Lawyer Jeffrey Kessler released a statement, saying, “We are disappointed that the court declined to grant 23XI and Front Row Motorsports a temporary restraining order to allow the teams to continue racing as chartered teams,” said Jeffrey Kessler, attorney for 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, in a statement. “We remain confident that our motion for a preliminary injunction is legally warranted and necessary, and we look forward to the court’s full review.”
- Next up on the docket is the decision on the preliminary injunction – that date is important because NASCAR has stated that it will not look at selling charters before that decision is made.
A member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Samuel also covers NASCAR for Yardbarker, Field Level Media, and Heavy Sports. He will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2025.