In a pivotal development in the antitrust case brought by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports (FRM) against NASCAR, the teams have reportedly received financial data from one of the major sporting leagues from which they requested information, as part of their trial preparation.
The initial lawsuit filed by both teams challenged the fairness and legality of NASCAR’s charter system and revenue-sharing model. It argued that the current structure prevented race teams from operating sustainably and fairly.
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports requested financial information from the F1, NFL, NHL, NBA, and IndyCar earlier this year to support their claims. While F1 flatly refused to produce the requested information, the other league’s cases will continue in a New York district court.
MLB Data Supplied to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports
According to court filings, in a dramatic escalation of the antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and FRM against NASCAR, the teams recently disclosed that they have received financial data from Major League Baseball.
Journalist Bob Pockrass first flagged the revelation that MLB had provided the information. He reported that the news was buried in a document the teams submitted before a U.S. Court of Appeals hearing.
In a post on X, Pockrass wrote, “In preparation for the trial, 23XI and FRM have sought financial information from other sports leagues and is currently in litigation with INDYCAR, the NHL, NBA and NFL to obtain that information. It has received information from Major League Baseball and recently settled its litigation with Liberty Media, owners of Formula 1.”
Here is the link to listen (not watch) the hearing between 23XI/FRM and NASCAR in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond. I also wrote up a summary to get you up to speed. Hearing is at 8:30a ET today. https://t.co/gc9DX8WdvB pic.twitter.com/0URHweikZc
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 9, 2025
The court battle reached a major turning point in December when Judge Kenneth Bell issued a preliminary injunction, forcing NASCAR to allow 23XI and FRM to race as chartered teams in the 2025 Cup Series season.
This followed NASCAR’s refusal to approve charter transfers from the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), despite agreements by both 23XI and FRM to purchase those charters.
The judge also called out NASCAR’s charter agreement, which included a clause barring teams from suing the organization, a provision Bell deemed potentially illegal. The court found that the clause placed teams in a bind; if they signed the agreement, they would forfeit legal recourse, and if they refused to sign it, they would be excluded from racing.
The December injunction allowed the teams to stay on the grid for 2025. It also required NASCAR to approve the transfers of the SHR charters to each of the teams, who had previously agreed to purchase those charters.
The eventual outcome of the lawsuit could transform the economics and structure of NASCAR’s top series.