Joint Lawsuit Challenges NASCAR and the France Family Over Their Anti-Competitive and Monopolistic Control of the Sport

CHARLOTTE, N.C., October 02, 2024–(BUSINESS WIRE)–23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports today jointly filed an antitrust lawsuit in the Western District of North Carolina against the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) and its CEO Jim France, arguing that the stock car racing circuit and its leadership have used anti-competitive practices to prevent fair competition in the sport.

In a joint statement, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports said, “We share a passion for racing, the thrill of competition, and winning. Off the racetrack, we share a belief that change is necessary for the sport we love. Together, we brought this antitrust case so that racing can thrive and become a more competitive and fair sport in ways that will benefit teams, drivers, sponsors, and, most importantly, fans.”

NASCAR and the France family operate without transparency, have stifled competition, and control the sport of stock car racing in ways that unfairly benefit them at the expense of team owners, drivers, sponsors, partners, and fans, through the following anti-competitive practices:

Buying a majority of the premier racetracks that are exclusive to NASCAR races;

Imposing exclusivity deals on NASCAR-sanctioned racetracks;

Acquiring Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), the only notable stock car racing series competitor;

Preventing teams from participating in any other stock car races, while also retaining ownership over Next Gen parts and cars; and

Forcing teams to buy their parts from single-source suppliers chosen by NASCAR.

No other major professional sport in North America is run by a single family that enriches themselves through these kinds of unchecked monopolistic practices.

Central to the lawsuit are the original NASCAR charters adopted in 2016 and the recently updated 2025 agreements, which the 23XI and Front Row Motorsports teams did not sign because of the unfair terms. After more than two years of attempted negotiations over the 2025 agreements, during which NASCAR continually stonewalled and refused to engage constructively, we concluded that litigation was the only way to address the anti-competitive practices of NASCAR and the France family.

In the coming days, we will file a preliminary injunction to enable our teams to race in the next calendar year under the 2025 charter agreement, while continuing to pursue our antitrust litigation. The filing will seek discovery from both NASCAR and Jim France related to their exclusionary practices and intent to insulate themselves from any competition. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will seek treble damages for the anti-competitive terms that teams have been subject to under the 2016 charter agreement.