Overview
- Jury selection and opening statements are set for Monday before Judge Kenneth D. Bell in federal court in Charlotte, launching the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports antitrust case against NASCAR.
- The teams allege Sherman Act violations tied to charter terms, track ownership, sanctioning exclusivity and single‑supplier rules, after refusing to sign the 2025 charter agreement.
- Pretrial discovery unsealed internal messages and financial records, while both sides filed extensive exhibit lists (23XI/FRM with 860 items and NASCAR with 961), many accessible to the public via PACER.
- Denny Hamlin escalated the public fight by labeling an ESPN preview “propaganda” and saying fans were “brainwashed,” drawing both pushback and support ahead of the courtroom phase.
- Key pretrial rulings include the reversal of an early injunction, dismissal of NASCAR’s counterclaim, and a narrowed market definition; a dispute over witness sequestration and owners’ courtroom presence remained unresolved as of Sunday.