Unhappy with the new charter agreement proposed by NASCAR, Ford team Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and Toyota’s 23XI Racing not only refused to sign, but also filed a joint antitrust lawsuit against the sanctioning body. A lengthy legal battle followed. NASCAR threatened to revoke the teams’ charters, but as of December 18th, 2024, the court has ruled in favor of FRM and 23XI, allowing them to compete as chartered entities in 2025.
The ruling, posted in full on Jayski, comes in the wake of a preliminary injunction filing – which, unsurprisingly, NASCAR filed to dismiss last week. The decision not only allows Front Row Motorsports and 23XI to retain their existing charters, but greenlights the transfer of additional charters purchased from Stewart-Haas Racing, which ceased operations at the end of the 2024 racing season.
“The Court hereby enters a limited preliminary injunction only for the duration of the 2025 NASCAR Cup season as follows,” the ruling reads. “Defendants and their agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and all persons in active concert or participation with Defendants, most allow Plaintiffs to each enter two race cars in all NASCAR Cup races under the 2025 Charter Agreement terms applicable to all charter teams, with the exception that the ‘release’ language in Section 10.3 of the 2025 Charter Agreement shall not be enforceable to the extent that it would release or bar Plaintiffs’ claims in this action.”
The ruling continues, “Further, NASCAR is preliminarily enjoined from refusing to approve Plaintiffs’ purchases of two Stewart-Haas Racing, LLC charters, which Plaintiffs will be entitled to use to race in all 2025 NASCAR Cup races on the same terms as other charter teams, again with the exception of the application of the release language to Plaintiffs’ claims in this action; and a Case Management schedule will be set by the Court which, in the absence of a voluntary resolution of this dispute among the Parties, provides for a trial on Plaintiffs’ claims to be concluded in advance of the beginning of the 2026 NASCAR race season.”
In other words, FRM and 23XI will each be allowed to race with three chartered entries for the 2025 Cup Series season, meaning they will be guaranteed a spot on the grid for each race. This is a huge win for both teams, who were in danger of losing major sponsors and therefore their drivers. However, if an agreement is not reached between FRM, 23XI, and NASCAR, the case will go to trial, and the trial will be finished before the 2026 Cup Series season begins.
At the time of this writing, NASCAR has not indicated if it will file an appeal.
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