Denny Hamlin’s been a NASCAR staple for years, but since co-founding 23XI Racing in 2021 with Michael Jordan and Curtis Polk, he’s learned that owning a team is a whole different beast. The last five months have thrown him into a crash course in law, as 23XI and Front Row Motorsports take on NASCAR in a high-stakes antitrust lawsuit.
Filed on October 2, 2024, in North Carolina’s Western District, the suit claims NASCAR conducts ‘monopolistic practices’ that hamper the growth of the sport, specifically referring to the clause in the latest charter agreement that prevented teams from suing the sanctioning body. 23XI and FRM did not end up signing the charter agreement, but still wished to race as chartered teams, adding another layer to this drama.
23XI and Front Row fought for an injunction to race as chartered teams in 2025 without signing a charter agreement that could waive their antitrust claims. Their first shot was denied on November 8, but a December 18 ruling granted it, locking in their three-car teams—Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Riley Herbst for 23XI; Noah Gragson, Zane Smith, and Todd Gilliland for Front Row as chartered for now.
NASCAR pushed back, asking to delay the injunction, but backed off after a district court rejection. However, after an appeal, they successfully overturned the injunction in May 2025 after the panel deemed that having that clause in the charter agreement itself was not illegal, and that 23XI and FRM cannot refuse the sign the lawsuit and choose to race as chartered teams as well. This left the teams in a precarious spot. While they do have an option to appeal this ruling, they still risk the possibility of running the rest of the season as open teams.
However, this has no implications on the lawsuit itself, which is slated for trial on December 1st. And when Hamlin was asked if he would prefer to settle this instead of taking it to court, his response was bold and measured. In a recent interview ahead of the race at Pocono, Denny Hamlin doubled down on his resolve: “I have stated publicly that I’ve always hoped cooler heads would prevail, but I can tell you this is not on our end that needs the cool heads. I think the difference is that they are saying different things, so we’re prepared to go all the way.”
“It’s not on our end.”@dennyhamlin hints that it’s up to NASCAR if they want want the lawsuit trial to continue. He also reveals if he will ever be a crew chief like @DaleJr is this weekend at Pocono. pic.twitter.com/lJfV7DcFHL
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) June 21, 2025
His words carry the weight of a man who’s all-in, echoing his earlier commitment to race no matter the cost. Back in December, before the injunction was granted, Hamlin promised 23XI would run as an open team if needed. At Michigan, after NASCAR won the injunction appeal, he reiterated, “Same as what we said in December is that we’re committed to running this season open if we have to, even before they decided on the injunction. So we’re going to race and fulfill all of our commitments no matter what. We’re here to race. Our team is going to be here for the long haul, and we’re confident of that.”
Hamlin’s transparency with his staff has been a cornerstone. “We’ve been very transparent with all of our employees during this entire process. Every time something comes along, we communicate that before it becomes public, so we’ve been very transparent. One of the things we remain steadfast in saying is that nothing will change in their lives, and we’re going to make sure that everyone’s taken care of and everyone should plan on work as scheduled,” he said earlier. His pledge to protect his team’s morale and jobs underscores his determination to see the lawsuit through, even if it means racing without the financial safety net of charters.
The legal barbs are flying. NASCAR’s attorney Chris Yates called the Race Team Alliance a “cartel” for its charter demands, while teams’ lawyer Jeffrey Kessler blasted NASCAR as a “personal fee stub” for the France family. The court also green-lit Stewart-Haas Racing charter transfers, one each to 23XI and Front Row, securing their three-car plans. But the successful appeal has turned that on its head.
Evidently, the lawsuit drama has taken a whole new shape as we enter the summer stretch of the season, but as a driver, Denny Hamlin is as focused as he’s ever been.
Back like he never left: Hamlin’s Pocono pole
Denny Hamlin roared back after a one-week break at Pocono Raceway, snagging pole position for The Great American Getaway 400 with a blistering 172.599 mph lap in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The track’s all-time winningest driver, with seven victories and five first-or-second finishes in the last eight races, edged out Chris Buescher by 0.083 seconds, as Carson Hocevar, John Hunter Nemechek, and Cole Custer rounded out the top five.
It was a triumphant return for Hamlin, who missed Mexico City’s inaugural race for his son’s birth but secured a NASCAR waiver to stay playoff-eligible. Despite not being in the top-10 on pace in practice, and lining up 15th in qualifying, Hamlin dominated, and said after winning the pole, “We typically can step up from practice. We had good adjustments, so never really panicked too much. And obviously because I was a little more rested than the rest of the field right there, I was able to show a little more speed.”
His team’s knack for dialing in his car shone through, and with six Toyotas in the top 10, including 23XI’s Tyler Reddick in eighth, Hamlin’s got momentum. Hamlin’s focus is clear: win at Pocono and keep pushing, lawsuit or not. He proved two weeks back in Michigan that the noise doesn’t faze him, and he seems prepared as ever to take that momentum to Pocono. Do you think Denny Hamlin can make it four wins for the season on Sunday? Let us know in the comments!
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