“Ballsy.” That’s the word NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace used to describe Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s move to drag NASCAR into a courtroom. Wallace has spent years sounding alarms about the direction of the sport, and now, as the trial enters its second day, the former Busch Series standout believes the fight could mark a watershed turning point for stock car racing.
In his latest, the 62-year-old laid out the situation in plain language, explaining how Jordan’s confronting NASCAR could divide the industry and potentially reshape the sport for years to come.
Kenny Wallace Warns That Michael Jordan’s Defiance Could Trigger a NASCAR Implosion
No one was surprised when all eyes in the courtroom locked onto MJ. Jurors leaned in for a better look at the legendary Chicago Bulls guard, and a few even attempted small talk after being excused.
Throughout the proceedings, 23XI Racing’s legal team repeatedly emphasized that Jordan’s global pull wasn’t just star power; it was a matter of survival in a “monopolistic” system.
According to them, his image and influence were the only reasons the team could withstand what they called NASCAR’s flawed and unjust business model, a reality that Wallace had warned about weeks earlier.
“Man, it’s ugly, it’s disappointing to see that NASCAR thinks very little,” the veteran racer began in an exclusive conversation on the “Bubba the Love Sponge Show.”
He continued, “I told Kenny Schrader yesterday. You got the Wood Brothers (Racing) who are the No. 1 and then you got Richard Childress. To hear NASCAR talk like that about the man that owned the Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s car, took him to seven championships its like, ‘Oh my god, they hate us all.'”
Touching on the revelations involving NASCAR leadership, Commissioner Steve Phelps, President Steve O’Donnell, and Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress, Wallace argued that Jordan’s defiance may tilt the odds against NASCAR.
In his view, the situation has already begun to fracture the industry, positioning major players in direct opposition to the organization.
Adding to his point, the St. Louis native explained, “NASCAR came to them and said, ‘You all got one last night to sign this document, and if you don’t sign it, you’re out.’ And it pissed Michael Jordan off. He goes, ‘I’m not signing it.’ And then he says, ‘For most part, you’re a monopoly. You’re telling us that if we’re not signing this then we can’t be with you all.'”
He continued, “So he got mad, they’re suing them over that, and they’re suing them because NASCAR gets $1 billion a year in TV, and then they don’t feel like the teams are being treated right. It’s those two things.”
Day 2 of the antitrust trial didn’t end quietly; it detonated. After hours of grilling from NASCAR attorney Lawrence Buterman, Hamlin left the stand, only for 23XI/FRM to drop their biggest surprise yet.
Internal messages mocking Childress, including former president Phelps reportedly calling him an “idiot” and a “redneck,” had already stirred outrage. According to “The Teardown” hosts, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports plan to call Childress as a witness against NASCAR, potentially turning a private feud into public testimony.
Additionally, attorney Jeffrey Kessler revealed that one unnamed team plans to testify in NASCAR’s defense, a move that underscores the sport’s growing division. Who that wildcard is remains a mystery. And for now, the entire industry is left waiting to see just how far the split will go.
