23XI, Front Row ask court to keep their charter status
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports filed documents in U.S. District Court Monday looking for a short-term limiting order and initial injunction to preserve their charter status days before they are arranged to lose it.The teams, in court documents, state losing their charter status would trigger “irreversible damage” and that NASCAR has “indicated its intent to immediately move or sell (their) charters to other entities– putting (23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports) in irreversible jeopardy of never getting their charters back and going out of business.”
NASCAR issued a declaration Monday morning:
“It is unfortunate that instead of respecting the clear rulings of the 4th Circuit, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are now straining the District Court with a 3rd movement for another unneeded and unsuitable initial injunction.
“As both the 4th Circuit and the District Court suggested, NASCAR has actually made multiple demands to 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to present a proposition to fix this litigation. We have yet to receive a proposal from 23XI or Front Row, as they have rather chosen to continue their destructive and distracting claim.
“We will safeguard NASCAR’s stability from this unwarranted claim required upon the sport that threatens to divide the stakeholders devoted to serving race fans all over. We remain focused on collaborating with the 13 race groups that signed the 2025 charter arrangements and share our shared objective of providing the very best racing on the planet every week, including this weekend in Dover.”
Monday’s filing follows a three-judge panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a preliminary injunction in June that enabled 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to get the benefits of a charter group– mainly financial– despite the fact that they did not sign the charter arrangement in 2015.
Teams have 14 days to petition the court for a rehearing. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals denied an ask for a rehearing July 9, suggesting 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports might be categorized as open teams ahead of Sunday’s race at Dover Motor Speedway.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals denied an ask for rehearing, implying 23XI and Front Row could be classified as open groups ahead of the July 20 Dover race.
The teams submitted their demand Monday for an oral argument on their ask for a temporary restraining order and initial injunction in U.S. District Court in Charlotte, North Carolina.The 2 teams specified in court documents that they” bring this new motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to safeguard the status quo and prevent the irreversible harm that will result if(they)lose their charter rights or are required to unwind their charter purchases before trial(Dec. 1).”While the Fourth Circuit has actually abandoned the prior initial injunction, and the required is set up to be released on July 16, the Fourth Circuit’s decision was based on the narrow holding that NASCAR’s release in the 2025 Charter Arrangement is not, standing alone, exclusionary conduct in offense of Area 2 of the Sherman Act. The 4th Circuit expressly did not consider NASCAR’s other exclusionary acts that … clearly establish that(23XI and Front Row )are likely to prevail at trial.”In the court filing from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, the teams state:”
Because the 4th Circuit’s choice, NASCAR has indicated its objective to immediately transfer to sell or issue Plaintiffs’charters to other entities– putting Complainants in irreversible jeopardy of never ever getting their charters back and failing.” As the Court has actually already discovered, it is not economically feasible for a team to participate in the Cup Series on a long-term basis racing under an “open”arrangement. Furthermore, if Plaintiffs are forced to relinquish their charters before trial, they as soon as again will deal with the prospect of losing crucial sponsors and star motorists, who will can end their agreements and have actually currently signaled their objective to pursue driving opportunities with other teams( should Plaintiffs lose their charter rights ). ” A current choice by a federal appellant panel might lead to 23XI Racing ending up being an open team in the next few weeks. The teams demand that the court issue a momentary restraining order and then a preliminary
injunction that permits 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to continue racing as chartered vehicles for the rest of the season.23 XI Racing uses drivers Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst. Front Row Motorsports’chauffeurs are Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson and Zane Smith.In the court filing, the teams mentioned:”Because the Fourth Circuit decision abandoning the injunction, motorists
for Plaintiffs have currently expressed their concerns about the continued ability of the groups to complete without charters.”23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports also stated in court documents their concerns about losing charters.In court documents, the two groups mentioned:” Additionally, if Plaintiffs lose their charter rights now, they might never be able to get them back. After the Fourth Circuit’s choice leaving the preliminary injunction, NASCAR’s counsel sent a letter to Plaintiffs on June 25, 2025, stating that NASCAR planned to”instantly carry out a process”to sell or relax the 23XI and Front Row charters that Complainants bought from Stewart-Haas Racing. … NASCAR specified that it is”familiar with interest from numerous potential buyers for Charters.”These prospective buyers would also be a threat to obtain Plaintiffs’other charter rights if Complainants are required to relinquish them, putting Complainants ‘whole future service at risk– as they can not race as open teams on a long-lasting basis. “23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports each acquired one charter from Stewart-Haas Racing in 2015.