Overview
- Testifying on Day 4, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell said teams sought a new revenue model in 2022 but chairman Jim France opposed a change, as internal options discussed included hard signing deadlines, track exclusivity and even dissolving charters.
- Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins continued his testimony, estimating roughly $100 million in lifetime losses, saying his team has never made a profit and describing NASCAR’s Sept. 6, 2024 offer as a six‑hour, take‑it‑or‑leave‑it deadline he refused to sign.
- The current charter extension guarantees about $12.5 million per car annually, while Jenkins and 23XI’s Denny Hamlin testified a Cup car costs roughly $20 million per season to run before overhead or driver pay.
- Jenkins detailed Next Gen cost pressures, saying annual parts spending rose from about $1.8 million to $4.7 million and that vendor repair rules can add roughly $30,000 per clean race week for required nose and tail pieces.
- Internal communications shown to jurors captured executive rifts, including messages referencing “zero wins for the teams,” debate over non‑compete and exclusivity provisions, and characterizations of France as a negotiating “brick wall,” while O’Donnell also disclosed losses on Chicago and Mexico City events.