Major legal relief for NASCAR but it’s not from their battle against 23XI Racing and FRM

NASCAR won a legal battle, not against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, but against the LetsGoBrandon Foundation. The jury determined that the stock car racing governing body isn't accountable for the loss of the LGBCoin holders.

For context, during a post-race interview with former Xfinity Series driver Brandon Brown at Talladega Superspeedway in 2021, the crowd chanted anti-Joe Biden slogans, including the phrase “Let’s go Brandon.” The moment went viral, inspiring entrepreneur James Koutoulas and other co-founders to launch the LetsGoBrandon.com Coin (LGBCoin).

A controversy arose in December that year when LetsGoBrandon.com announced it would sponsor Brandon Brown, only for NASCAR to rescind approval of the paint scheme and sponsorship for various reasons, such as the slogan's political association. The decision caused the coin's value to drop significantly, with Koutoulas telling the jurors that it cost the foundation millions of dollars. However, as mentioned, the jurors ruled in favor of NASCAR.

Here’s NASCAR Insider Bob Pockrass’s report on the legal battle against the plaintiff, LetsGoBrandon.com, writing:

“NASCAR won the jury trial in the lawsuit filed against it by the LetsGoBrandon Foundation over whether NASCAR rescinding approval of the paint scheme/sponsorship cost it $$ ... Jury determined that NASCAR wouldn't have to expect its decision would impact LGBCoin holder behavior.”

With that resolved, NASCAR can now turn its attention to the separate lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, which accuses the sanctioning body of monopolistic practices related to the charter system. Both teams declined to sign the charter extension agreement in October 2024 but later obtained a court injunction permitting them to continue competing as temporary full-time entrants for the current season.

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NASCAR claims race teams support them amid legal battle against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports

NASCAR recently issued a response to the ongoing lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The sanctioning body argued that the plaintiffs are seeking to renegotiate existing terms rather than pursuing legitimate antitrust claims.

NASCAR also noted that the majority of teams have already signed the charter extension agreements, reflecting that the terms are fair and supported throughout the garage, saying (via Claire B Lang on X):

“Today's filing demonstrates that NASCAR's charter system has the support of race teams throughout the garage, and that the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports lawsuit is not in the best interests of the sport. This lawsuit is not about antitrust; it is merely an attempt to renegotiate an agreement that was signed and is being honored by all other race teams. Together with our race team partners, we remain committed to delivering the best of stock car racing to our fans every weekend through our championship on Nov. 2, including this Sunday on the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.”

If the parties fail to reach a settlement, the court has scheduled the trial for December 1, 2025. Should 23XI and FRM lose the case and continue refusing to sign the charter agreement, they would be classified as part-time entrants. This status could significantly impact their operations, as part-time teams do not receive the same financial benefits and guaranteed race entries as full-time chartered organizations.

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Edited by Zarec Sanchez