Denny Hamlin reiterates end goal for 23XI lawsuit vs. NASCAR, addresses fan criticism

Denny Hamlin understands that 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR is complicated. The ongoing legal battle has taken several twists and turns since the teams filed the lawsuit Oct. 2, 2024.

In the initial filing, the teams accused NASCAR and its CEO Jim France of “unlawful monopolization of premier stock car racing in order to enrich themselves at the expense of the premier stock car racing teams.” Tuesday, the 23XI co-owner reiterated that the end goal is to create a “fairer system for everyone.” As for the fans who believe he’s trying to blow up the sport, Hamlin said their intentions will become clear when the case goes before a jury Dec. 1, 2025.

“We are fighting for a fairer system for everyone. While it’s 23XI/Front Row versus NASCAR in this litigation, this is for the drivers, the teams, the fans, everyone,” Hamlin said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “I can promise you, the end result of this could be that it is better for everyone in the future and that’s what we want is just a fairer system for everyone.

“I understand it’s very complicated. There’s so many motions and stuff. I get it, it’s very hard to keep up with. There will be a day — Dec. 1 — where we’ll have our day in court and I believe people will be more educated about what this fight is all about.”

Why did Denny Hamlin, 23XI file antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR?

It’s important to understand how we got here. The antitrust lawsuit stemmed from 23XI and Front Row opting not to sign NASCAR’s final charter proposal last September at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Teams negotiated an extension of the original 2016 charter agreement for two years ahead of its Dec. 31 expiration. They made demands such as making charters permanent, which NASCAR refused to include in its proposals.

The final proposal came Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. ET. NASCAR allegedly gave teams a six-hour deadline to sign, threatening to “eliminate the charter system altogether for 2025 and beyond” if they did not. 23XI and Front Row were the two holdouts among the 15 Cup Series teams. The final offer included a nearly 50 percent increase that teams earned from NASCAR’s record $1.1 billion per year television deal that went into effect in 2025 and also runs through 2031.

Denny Hamlin addresses latest U.S. Court of Appeals ruling in NASCAR lawsuit

Both teams secured a preliminary injunction to continue racing while the lawsuit is pending. This past Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals made a major decision, vacating the preliminary injunction that granted charter status to 23XI and Front Row.

23XI and Front Row will not lose their charter status immediately. There is a 14-day window for the teams to ask the case to be heard by the entire panel of judges at the Court of Appeals. The ruling from Judge Paul V. Niemeyer called into question the merits of the case on antitrust grounds.

This past weekend at Michigan International Speedway, Hamlin was asked about the latest ruling. He is keeping a level head.

“We remain very confident in our case for Dec. 1 [trial],” Hamlin explained, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “We’re confident in it, we feel like facts are on our side, and I think if you listen to the judges, even they mention that we might be in pretty good shape.”

On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this report.