NASCAR writer, Ryan McGee, didn’t hold back in criticizing Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin for filing a lawsuit against NASCAR’s chairman, Jim France. While McGee didn’t question the lawsuit itself, he blasted its timing, suggesting that the 23XI Racing co-owners acted without considering the bigger picture. His message was direct: “Wait a damn week.”
The lawsuit stems from ongoing negotiations over NASCAR’s charter system, which governs team participation. After two years of talks, NASCAR presented its final proposal, asking all teams to sign by September 6, 2023. Out of 15 Cup Series teams, only two—23XI Racing (co-owned by Jordan and Hamlin) and Front Row Motorsports (FRM)—refused, claiming they weren’t given a fair chance to negotiate. Rumors of legal action soon followed, and on October 2, 2023, those rumors became reality when 23XI and FRM announced plans to file an antitrust lawsuit against the France family.
What really grabbed McGee’s attention was the timing of the lawsuit. Just one day before, 23XI Racing was involved in community work, helping Hurricane Helene victims. The sudden switch from charity to legal action seemed poorly timed to McGee, who criticized it in his ESPN column. He called the lawsuit “selfish” and “thoughtless,” arguing that Jordan and Hamlin should’ve waited out of respect for their charitable efforts. “The timing was selfish, classless, and thoughtless. Wait a damn week,” McGee wrote.
Adding to the drama, NASCAR responded by freezing 23XI’s purchase of a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing, further fueling the conflict.
Veteran NASCAR analyst Larry McReynolds also weighed in, expressing doubts about whether 23XI had the experience to push for such drastic changes. “We’ve got a team that’s been around less than four years, and now they’re trying to change the way NASCAR’s been run for decades,” McReynolds said. He pointed out that long-standing figures like Richard Childress, Jack Roush, Rick Hendrick, and Joe Gibbs signed the deal despite not loving everything about it because they saw it as beneficial for the sport.
McReynolds was critical of the message 23XI and FRM sent, implying NASCAR has been running its business wrong for 76 years. “It’s unsettling to see newer teams trying to reshape something that’s worked for decades,” he added.
As this legal battle unfolds, it has the potential to reshape NASCAR’s business structure, especially if 23XI and FRM win their case. For now, the focus is on the fallout and reactions from key figures like McGee and McReynolds. This tension between established teams and newer ones like 23XI reflects larger debates about how NASCAR should be run and who gets to have a say. Whether Jordan’s team triumphs or faces setbacks remains uncertain, but the outcome could leave a lasting mark on NASCAR’s future.