23XI Racing and Entrance Row Motorsports are sustaining a business-as-usual perspective regardless of submitting an antitrust lawsuit in opposition to NASCAR and CEO Jim France earlier this week.
“Sure, 23XI Racing plans to race subsequent yr,” co-owner Curtis Polk mentioned. “We plan to proceed to undergo with all of the issues we have been planning earlier than this lawsuit. Our enterprise mannequin goes to maneuver ahead and we’re going to proceed to develop and compete on the highest degree.”
23XI Racing is predicted to increase to 3 automobiles subsequent season. Whereas these plans haven’t been publicly laid out, the lawsuit revealed the group agreed to buy a constitution from Stewart-Haas Racing in August.
Entrance Row Motorsports introduced its plans for a 3rd automobile in Might. Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson are two of the three drivers confirmed.
Within the meantime, there are plans to file a preliminary injunction to permit each organizations to race subsequent season underneath the 2025 Constitution Settlement because the litigation strikes ahead. Doing so wouldn’t solely assure the groups a beginning spot in every occasion but in addition proceed to earn the prize cash from the constitution.
The purse is considerably much less for groups who would not have a constitution.
“We made a dedication to our groups and with staffing individuals and making ready for 2025,” mentioned Entrance Row Motorsports proprietor Bob Jenkins. “So, we’re full pace forward both manner.”
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday morning in North Carolina. It got here lower than a month after 23XI Racing and Entrance Row Motorsports have been the one two groups who didn’t signal the ultimate 2025 Constitution Settlement supply from NASCAR the weekend of Atlanta Motor Speedway.
In accusing NASCAR and its management of utilizing anti-competitive practices, the organizations should not solely in search of trebled financial damages however a change to how the game operates. 23XI Racing and Entrance Row Motorsports filed the lawsuit collectively and are dedicated to seeing it by means of till there’s a truthful decision for the groups.
“There has by no means been a case that I’ve discovered that’s egregiously as anti-competitive as this one,” mentioned antitrust and sports activities lawyer Jeffrey Kessler of Winston & Strawn. “Right here now we have a sport the place one household has mainly used its energy to create an absolute monopoly for the good thing about that household versus being to the good thing about the groups, drivers, sponsors, broadcasters, the followers. This monopoly didn’t occur due to superior product, the household’s funding, their innovation. This monopoly has occurred due to unlawful monopolistic practices.”
“We anticipate to win this case,” Kessler continued. “A technique or one other, inventory automobile goes to vary on this nation for the higher.”
Kessler acknowledged that 23XI Racing and Entrance Row Motorsports are open to a settlement however provided that a big compromise is reached. But when the authorized proceedings happen as anticipated, Kessler mentioned it might be one or two years earlier than it reaches the courts.
