Teams Push Back, Citing Irreparable Harm
But attorneys for the teams weren’t swayed. Jeffrey Kessler of Winston & Strawn LLP, representing Front Row and 23XI, insisted NASCAR’s temporary freeze does little to cure the immediate harm the teams face. Without charters, they warned, their businesses could collapse.
“Plaintiffs further do not agree that defendants’ notice and representations demonstrate plaintiffs face no irreparable harm,” Kessler said, doubling down on the urgency.
The teams argue NASCAR’s grip is suffocating — restricting access to racetracks, forbidding chartered teams from competing outside its circuit, and enforcing rigid technical regulations.
From Courtroom Barbs to Trial Drama
The litigation has become as heated as the track itself. Judge Bell has already scolded attorneys on both sides for trading barbs and making personal digs, warning them to rein in the animosity before a jury takes its seat.
“I’m not going to let your animosity for each other inconvenience me,” Bell told the courtroom, cautioning that his patience won’t extend into trial.
The case hinges on whether NASCAR’s charter system — first adopted in 2016 and renegotiated in recent years — crosses the line from business model to monopoly. The outcome could reshape not just NASCAR’s future but the entire business of stock car racing in the U.S.
Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing are represented by Jeffrey L. Kessler, Danielle T. Williams, Jeanifer Parsigian, Michael P. Toomey and Matthew R. DalSanto of Winston & Strawn LLP.
