The NASCAR lawsuit has taken a dramatic twist. A few days ago, 23XI and Front Row Motorsports filed a motion for a temporary restraining order as well as a preliminary injunction to continue racing as chartered teams at Dover Motor Speedway. With the previous injunction expiring on July 16th after being overturned by a higher court, desperate times called for desperate measures, with the plaintiffs making one last effort to buy themselves more time. It didn’t work.
As things stand, both teams will be running as open entries for at least the upcoming races in Dover and Indianapolis after being denied a temporary restraining order to keep NASCAR from revoking their chartered status. That’s a pretty major blow for 23XI and Front Row, who will face a significant financial setback because of the ruling.
The NASCAR lawsuit hits a roadblock
The odds were always stacked against them. When the U.S. Court of Appeals overturned the preliminary injunction, the plaintiffs, along with attorney Jeffrey Kessler, knew they had their work cut out. Both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports left no stone unturned to retain their charters, but couldn’t prove ‘irreparable harm’, with the judge claiming they will continue participating in races for the next few weeks without losing their drivers or sponsors before a decision is made on the preliminary injunction.
Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck also posted on X, “The judge said they did not demonstrate they would be irreparably harmed without the restraining order because they will still qualify. They will be Open teams for Dover. Preliminary injunction was not ruled on today, and NASCAR told the court it will not sell the charters before that ruling. The teams told the court if the charters are sold, it would “thereby for all practical purposes end their existence as a realistic competitor in NASCAR’s Cup Series.”
It’s a complicated situation to be in. NASCAR basically assured both teams that there won’t be more open entries than spots on the field at Dover Motor Speedway and Indianapolis, which means 23XI Racing and Front Row are guaranteed qualification. While the payout will be less in comparison to chartered teams, that’s a reality the plaintiffs will need to accept under the circumstances.
The judge in the 23XI/Front Row suit against NASCAR has denied them a temporary restraining order to continue racing as charter teams. The judge said they did not demonstrate they would be irreparably harmed without the restraining order because they will still qualify. They will…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 17, 2025
Tyler Reddick’s future at 23XI has also come under plenty of scrutiny once again. When the initial preliminary injunction last year was rejected by Judge Frank Whitney, the plaintiffs moved swiftly to show that their drivers, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace, had clauses in their contract that could see them leave the team if financial needs were not met. This was a key factor in Judge Kenneth Bell eventually overturning that injunction. However, their attempt at this seems to have backfired now.
The judge denied claims that the No. 45 Toyota driver could leave Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s co-owned team as a result of losing their charter status for Dover. Gluck posted on X, “Plaintiffs have not offered evidence that any drivers are intending to do so (leave) in the next two weeks.” According to FOX’s Bob Pockrass, the racer remains eligible for the In-Season Tournament as well, since the requirement was to only be a top-32 driver in points after Michigan, irrespective of charter status.
Jeffrey Kessler remains optimistic despite the court’s verdict
The ongoing NASCAR lawsuit is getting pretty heated. The sanctioning body slammed the plaintiffs in court recently, citing “no logical basis” for 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to be granted a temporary restraining order. Apart from issuing a forceful response, the sports hierarchy also alleged in court documents that the two teams “manufactured evidence of harm” when requesting a previous preliminary injunction.
However, the team’s attorney, Jeffrey Kessler, wasn’t having it. Sharing his thoughts after the verdict, he issued a statement which said, “We made the decision to bring this lawsuit to challenge NASCAR’s monopolistic practices and bullying tactics, and we are not going to let them push our teams – or others – out of the sport that they love. We are confident in the merits of our case, and the teams remain focused on competing this weekend and continuing their playoff push.”
As things stand, NASCAR won’t be selling any of the charters that originally belonged to 23XI or Front Row until the preliminary injunction verdict is out. This means all is not lost for the plaintiffs, who could salvage the situation in the coming weeks. Even though the odds are stacked against them, Kessler said, “We remain confident that our motion for a preliminary injunction is legally warranted and necessary, and we look forward to the court’s full review.” Do you think the court will side with the plaintiffs in the coming weeks? Let us know in the comments!
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