23XI, Front Row Lose Charters, Legal Fight Continues

A federal judge has denied 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports' request to compete as chartered teams, forcing their six cars to race as open entries beginning at Dover Motor Speedway. This ruling follows the revocation of a previous injunction by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, eliminating guaranteed starting spots and reducing financial payouts for the teams. Co-owned by Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin, and Bob Jenkins, the teams allege NASCAR's charter system is monopolistic and are continuing their legal challenge. A preliminary injunction is still pending, and a trial date is set for December 1. The judge indicated he may reconsider the decision if the teams risk missing races due to oversubscribed fields. NASCAR has told the court it will not sell the charters before a ruling on the injunction.