Overview

• NASCAR asked the federal court in Charlotte to order a judicial settlement conference and has moved for summary judgment, with a hearing set for Oct. 21.
• Declarations from prominent non-suing owners — including Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, and Richard Childress — press for a deal and defend the charter system.
• Attorney Jeffrey Kessler says 23XI Racing and Front Row seek governance reform rather than dismantling charters and are prepared for a Dec. 1 jury trial.
• A private mediation on Aug. 5 led by former NBA legal chief Jeffrey Mishkin failed to produce an agreement, and NASCAR now prefers a judge to oversee talks while the teams favor continuing with the mediator.
• The charter model, credited with creating more than $1.5 billion in team equity and with charters trading around $45 million, faces potential disruption that Judge Kenneth Bell warned could cloud 2026 if the case goes to verdict.