- Denny Hamlin says December 1 trial will reveal the full story behind the charter dispute
- Judge denies temporary charter protection for 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports
- Teams now face qualifying risks and financial uncertainty with 16 races remaining
Denny Hamlin has vowed that “all will be exposed” when 23XI Racing’s federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR goes to trial in December, following another legal blow for the race team owner and his co-plaintiffs at Front Row Motorsports.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell denied the teams’ request for a temporary restraining order that would have allowed them to continue racing with charters while the case plays out. Without that protection, all six cars from 23XI and FRM must now compete as open entries — a move that threatens their financial viability, according to the teams.
Speaking at Dover Motor Speedway on Saturday, Hamlin made clear the legal battle is far from over. “If you want answers, you want to understand why all this is happening, come Dec. 1, you’ll get the answers that you’re looking for,” he said. “All will be exposed.”
The denial means that this weekend at Dover, and likely next week in Indianapolis, the affected teams will not have guaranteed starting spots. While field sizes have recently been under the 40-car limit, that could change. If more than 40 cars are entered in a future race, any team without a charter would need to qualify on speed or risk missing the event entirely.
Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing with NBA legend Michael Jordan, said the team is fully prepared to send Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, and Riley Herbst to the track each week without charter protection. “Dec. 1 is all that matters. Mark your calendar,” he said. “I’d love to be doing other things. I’ve got a lot going on. When I get in the car today, nothing else is going to matter other than that. I always give my team 100 percent.”
He added that despite the mounting setbacks, his resolve has not wavered. “Whether I have side jobs, side hustles, more kids — that all matters — but I always give my team all the time that they need to make sure that when I step in, I’m 100 percent committed.”
The charter dispute escalated after 23XI and FRM declined to sign NASCAR’s latest charter extension deal, becoming the only two out of 15 teams to reject the offer. They filed a federal antitrust suit last year and initially won an injunction to maintain charter status for the season. However, that ruling was overturned on appeal earlier this month.
In court filings, the teams argued that NASCAR intended to begin selling the disputed charters immediately, putting their operations at risk of permanent closure. Judge Bell disagreed for now but left the door open to revisit the issue if circumstances change.
Tyler Reddick, who reportedly has a clause allowing him to leave 23XI if the team loses its charter, declined to answer any questions related to the lawsuit or his future. Hamlin also declined to comment on Reddick’s status, simply stating the team remains focused on racing.
Making races without a charter is not a concern for now, as fewer than 40 cars are entered at Dover. But the longer the legal limbo continues, the greater the risk for the six drivers affected, none of whom are currently locked into the playoffs.
Front Row driver Zane Smith acknowledged the uncertainty but backed team owner Bob Jenkins. “Nothing changes from my end, obviously, and nothing changes from inside the shop,” he said. “There’s not typically even enough cars to worry about transferring in.” Smith, who is currently 24th in the standings, said his job remains simple: “I leave all that up to them, but my job is to go get the 38 the best finish I can.”
The case is scheduled for trial on December 1. Until then, the tension between NASCAR and two of its teams is set to continue both in court and on the track.
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