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Joe Gibbs statement to NASCAR released in court filing vs. Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin, 23XI

Stephen Samraby: Steve Samra10/04/25SamraSource
Gibbs
(Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images)

On Friday evening, a court filing from NASCAR and Jim France regarding the ongoing antitrust lawsuit with 23XI Racing and Front Row took a new turn. The sanctioning body submitted a request for summary judgment regarding the Sherman Act violations that the teams have accused NASCAR of, and the filing included statements from multiple Cup Series team owners.

The Defendants, NASCAR and Jim France, are requesting that Judge Kenneth Bell give summary judgment regarding the alleged violations of the Sherman Act Sections 1 and 2. There are multiple reasons listed as to why the Defendants believe summary judgment is appropriate in this situation.

Team owners such as Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, Joe Gibbs, Brad Keselowski and more voluntarily provided statements as part of the filing. Those statements are all centered around the charter system, the desire of the owners to see it continue, and their desire to see the charters become permanent.

Gibbs’ statement was particularly interesting. FOX’s Bob Pockrass shared his declaration on social media, featuring his wish to stay neutral in the matter and for NASCAR to continue operating in the best interest of the fans, before any real damage is done to the sport.

“Jim France and Steve Phelps asked me to provide a Declaration in this matter. I am doing so, though with great reservation,” Gibbs wrote. “JGR and I are in an incredibly difficult position. On the one hand, I have had a close and important relationship with the France family for decades, and consider Jim France a personal friend.”

Throughout his lengthy statement, Gibbs went on to underscore the importance of resolving the case swiftly. He believes there should be a preservation of the charter system that has defined the modern Cup Series moving forward.

“The most important thing to me is that this lawsuit is resolved amicably, quickly, and in a manner that preserves the Charter system and the long-term viability of our incredible sport,” Gibbs added. “… I have repeatedly expressed my strong desire for the Charter system to become permanent in nature, and I continue to hold out hope that will one day be the case.”

Gibbs statement reads similar to many of his peers, as throughout all of the letters from team owners, the same message is there. Charters are the only reason why this sport is able to work the way it does currently. In fact, it is so important that these teams want to see them become permanent.

In the end, the court will ultimately make the decision. During the proceedings, Judge Bell has warned both sides, believing that a trial would radically change the sport and wouldn’t satisfy either side. Still, we appear to be headed for that trial in less than two months now, but NASCAR’s brass have drawn their lines in the sand.

— On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this article.