Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s co-owned NASCAR Cup Series team, 23XI Racing, has made headlines by refusing to sign the latest charter agreement, a decision that sets them apart from most of their competitors. Among the 15 teams in the Cup Series, 13 have already signed the agreement, while 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are the only holdouts. This move has sparked significant attention and speculation within the racing community.
The situation became public during the playoff opener in Atlanta, where Hamlin, despite being pressed for details, declined to offer much insight into the ongoing conflict over the charter agreement with NASCAR. While Hamlin remained tight-lipped, Jordan’s longtime business manager, Curtis Polk, stepped in to address the media, offering a sharp critique of NASCAR’s practices. Polk described the negotiations as a classic “David versus Goliath” scenario, accusing NASCAR of engaging in “predatory practices” that have complicated the situation.
In a recent episode of his podcast Actions Detrimental, Hamlin, who has an estimated net worth of $65 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, briefly addressed the charter dispute but refrained from divulging any new information. According to Hamlin, the team was presented with an unreasonably tight timeline to make a decision on the charter deal, which was expected to be signed by Friday, September 6. Hamlin expressed frustration over this accelerated timeline, saying, “Really, not gonna comment a whole lot further than what was said in my media availability, which was a whole lot of nothing. Just because this is a serious situation and the statement that 23XI put out accurately summed it all up.”
Hamlin further pointed to Polk’s responses to the media, noting that his business partner had addressed key concerns. “Curtis Polk had a few media members ask him questions yesterday which he answered, I would just kind of echo those statements. It’s certainly an unfortunate situation. We were just put under a crazy timeline and just thought that it was not appropriate and decided to stand up and say, this is not right,” Hamlin elaborated.
The official statement from 23XI Racing, released by Hamlin and Jordan, made it clear that while the team stands firm in its position, they remain open to engaging in constructive negotiations with NASCAR to reach a “fair resolution.” However, the future remains uncertain. Should 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports fail to reach an agreement, they may face the risk of losing their charters, a development that could have significant consequences for both teams.
While the off-track charter drama unfolded in Atlanta, Hamlin faced additional challenges on the track. In the playoff opener, he struggled to maintain a competitive position, opting to stay near the back of the pack to avoid potential wrecks. Unfortunately, his strategy did not pan out, and he was ultimately caught up in a crash that left him finishing 24th, earning only 13 points. This underwhelming performance led to criticism of his race strategy.
In response to the criticism, Hamlin explained his approach for the playoff opener, outlining his strategy to accumulate enough points to advance to the next round. According to Hamlin, his goal
