Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Rick Mast recently discussed the ongoing uncertainty surrounding 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports after both teams refrained from signing the new charter agreement. While all other team owners on the grid have agreed to the terms, these two organizations have yet to commit, raising questions about their future in the sport.
Mast, who shared his insights after speaking with NASCAR insiders in the Cup garage during the Atlanta Motor Speedway event, admitted he was unable to obtain specific details regarding why 23XI Racing, owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, along with Front Row Motorsports, held off on signing the charter. In a conversation on Kenny Wallace’s YouTube channel, Mast expressed his belief that both teams will likely resolve the situation with NASCAR and maintain their charters. He referred to the possibility of either team losing its place in the sport as “unfathomable.”
“When it comes to Michael Jordan-Denny Hamlin’s team and Front Row Motorsports, no one could give specifics about what exactly they were holding out for,” Mast remarked. “As for what’s going to happen moving forward, I don’t know. But I find it hard to believe that a team like 23XI Racing won’t be around next year, or even Front Row for that matter. It’s almost unthinkable that they wouldn’t be part of the sport. I’m confident things will get worked out.”
Mast, a 67-year-old NASCAR veteran, also suggested that if 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports manage to secure better terms from NASCAR, those benefits could extend to the rest of the teams as well. He emphasized that NASCAR has long operated as a “viable dictatorship,” with the France family holding the final say in key decisions. This leadership model, Mast explained, has shaped the sport since its inception.
“If NASCAR does end up offering more favorable terms to these teams, I believe those terms will eventually apply to all the teams,” Mast continued. “But people need to understand that NASCAR has always been run as a dictatorship. It’s been like that since Big Bill France founded it. It’s a successful dictatorship, and that’s just the reality teams have to accept when they’re part of the sport.”
Adding to the discussion, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. also weighed in on the charter situation. He believes that NASCAR is unlikely to take away 23XI Racing’s charters. During a recent episode of *Dale Jr. Download*, Earnhardt Jr. explained the original purpose of the charter system and how it may have shifted over time. According to him, the charters were initially designed to provide teams with stability and guarantee their participation in each race. The system, however, was intentionally not referred to as a “franchise,” a term associated with the ownership of major sports teams.
“They’re not going to take away Michael Jordan’s charters,” Earnhardt Jr. stated. “There might be a bit of a disconnect between how NASCAR envisioned the charter system and how the teams view it now. When the charter system was introduced, it wasn’t called a franchise for a reason. Teams weren’t considered franchises.”
Earnhardt Jr. went on to explain that some teams now view charters as akin to owning a sports franchise, such as an NFL team, but that wasn’t NASCAR’s original intention. “Over time, the teams have shifted their mindset to treat the charter system like it’s a franchise, like owning the Indianapolis Colts or something similar. But I don’t think NASCAR ever thought it would evolve into that.”
Earnhardt Jr. also mentioned that 23XI Racing may have lost some of its leverage when NASCAR opted to negotiate individually with teams, rather than collectively. With 13 of the 15 Cup team owners agreeing to the new charter deal, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports remain the only holdouts, complicating their position. However, both Mast and Earnhardt Jr. seem optimistic that the situation will be resolved, with the teams retaining their place in the sport.
“Hard to believe that team won’t be here next year” – Rick Mast reacts to Michael Jordan-led 23XI’s NASCAR charter dispute
