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The money game in NASCAR has been kept under wraps for many years. No one outside the garage could fully understand the mix of sponsor money, prize checks, and ambiguous “team revenue” lines. However, that curtain was just lifted with Judge Kenneth D. Bell’s decision to grant 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports a summary judgment against NASCAR. In conjunction, a number of NASCAR lawsuit-related documents were unredacted and unsealed. But while the majority of people were obsessed with the numbers game, there was something much more intriguing concealed in that stack of court documents. The co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing sent a letter in 2024 that, looking back, accurately reflected the same frustrations that are currently driving Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s fight in the NASCAR lawsuit. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad NASCAR lawsuit: JGR’s support for Michael Jordan Heather Gibbs, a co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, wrote an emotional message to the France family back in 2024. Contrary to what most people would have thought, it wasn’t just another business memo. Instead, it was a very personal appeal that made clear what many NASCAR team owners with significant stakes had been experiencing for years: the business (read financial) model was no longer viable. In the letter, Gibbs praised NASCAR’s legacy. However, she drew a hard line on the sport’s charter system, urging the France family to adopt permanent or “evergreen” charters. Something that forms a huge part of the ongoing NASCAR lawsuit. As you might be aware, current NASCAR charters aren’t permanent. They run on term agreements. Now, an evergreen status would give teams long-term stability similar to franchise ownership in traditional sports leagues. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Her argument was clear. Teams like JGR weren’t billion-dollar-backed conglomerates. Instead, they survived on sponsorships, talent development, and passion. “We are not like most businesses and are different from most of the owners in the garage. Please understand that when you say no to permanent charters, you are disregarding 32 years of dedication,” she wrote. Heather Gibbs described how JGR put almost all of its money back into NASCAR. JGR has consistently taken actions that have only served to increase NASCAR’s appeal, from introducing drivers like Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell to sponsoring side enterprises like 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Yet, she also expressed frustration with NASCAR leadership, taking “great exception” to suggestions that teams were reckless with spending. The letter emphasized that even powerhouse organizations like JGR struggled under the current system, where revenue sharing wasn’t enough to sustain long-term operations. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad The tone for the sport’s current ownership struggle in the NASCAR lawsuit was established by her final remarks. Teams were requesting security rather than charity. She called the permanent charter proposal not a negotiation, but a commitment from NASCAR to its partners. “It is my hope and prayer that your family can understand that this is not a negotiating point. If the likes of both parties can agree to permanent evergreen charters are necessary for the growth of our sport, just think how we can flourish together,” Heather concluded. And now, those same arguments (about fairness, investment, and legacy) are being echoed almost word for word in Michael Jordan and 23XI Racing’s ongoing legal fight against NASCAR. Why Front Row Motorsports stands with 23XI Racing In the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, only one team has chosen to stand alongside 23XI Racing. Yep, that’s Front Row Motorsports. And according to team owner Bob Jenkins, that decision wasn’t the result of outside influence. In a newly unsealed deposition from June 27, Jenkins made it clear that 23XI didn’t convince him to reject the 2025 NASCAR Charter Agreement. The longtime team owner, who also operates a number of restaurant franchises, explained that his stance came down to independence and financial reality. “I have my own beliefs,” Jenkins said. “I’m a fairly independent guy. And I think they felt similar to how I felt. I did realize I couldn’t take this on on my own. So had they signed, I would have probably had to have signed, and then, just perhaps, sold my charters or got out of the sport at some point.” That honest admission underscores Jenkins’ difficult position as a small-market team owner facing the same rising costs and shrinking margins that have frustrated much larger operations. Well, his concerns aren’t new. Last summer, Jenkins openly questioned the sustainability of NASCAR’s charter system. “We just have to be viable. It’s incumbent on the teams to help NASCAR grow the sport, but it’s also incumbent on NASCAR to help teams be more viable,” he said. Jenkins also highlighted NASCAR’s troubling attrition rate among teams. Of the 19 organizations involved in the original 2016 charter deal, only seven remain. During the deposition in the lawsuit, NASCAR’s attorney, Lawrence Butterman, suggested Jenkins could have sold his charters for a “decent amount of money.” However, Jenkins disagreed with this argument, stating bluntly that it wouldn’t cover his losses. “It’s not possible that I could recoup what I have spent on cars, and equipment, and people,” Jenkins said. He added that he’s lost roughly $60 million since 2016, and more than $100 million since entering NASCAR two decades ago.
