"This is not good": Kenny Wallace links NASCAR's turmoil to the Roman Empire amid ongoing lawsuit

In a striking comparison between ancient history and modern motorsports, former NASCAR driver and longtime analyst Kenny Wallace likened the sport’s ongoing legal and financial crisis to the fall of the Roman Empire.

Wallace reflected on how unchecked power, poor governance, and internal rebellion once brought down Caesar’s empire. He warned that NASCAR could face something similar if it doesn’t resolve its deepening standoff with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.

Wallace explained that Caesar’s rule, while effective at first, became too centralized, eventually leading to his assassination. Speaking on his Coffee with Kenny segment this week, he said:

“NASCAR was ruling and they were ruling hard and they opened up Pandora’s box by giving these teams what they asked for. They gave them the charter system and there’s that old saying, 'Be careful, you give them an inch, they take a mile.' The rules were not in place properly at NASCAR for them to open this up and give them a charter. So the similarities between the Roman Empire and NASCAR are strikingly scary.” (7:52 onwards)

Wallace’s comments come days after settlement talks collapsed between NASCAR and 23XI Racing and FRM. The dispute, now more than 18 months old, continues to dominate headlines as both sides prepare for trial on December 1.

The comparison came at a moment when the sport’s governance model faces its greatest test in decades. Since the charter system’s introduction in 2016, teams have argued it offered long-term stability but limited financial independence. The current antitrust lawsuit accuses the governing body of exercising monopolistic control over stock-car racing by tying track agreements, car specifications, and charter terms to its own sanctioning authority.

The league maintains that its system has created more than $1.5 billion in team equity. Kenny Wallace’s point, however, wasn’t about money alone.

“Not long after they killed Julius Caesar, the Roman Empire came falling down because they didn’t have good rules in place,” Wallace continued. “NASCAR had good rules in place and then they ruined it by opening up a charter system... Now hopefully things will turn out for the better, but right now this is not good because everybody in the industry does not like this… Did NASCAR mess up by giving out charters?” (8:37 onwards)

New court filings have revealed the long-secret financial details of the 2025 charter agreement, showing that each of the 36 chartered entries will earn a base payout of $141,000 per race, with an overall purse of $431 million for the season.

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“They’re getting close to burning it down”: Kenny Wallace warns NASCAR to settle the dispute

Kenny Wallace during the Kenny Wallace Live show at World Wide Technology Raceway. Source: Getty

As the legal battle intensifies, Kenny Wallace is also concerned about how far the conflict has already gone. He noted that the lawsuit’s discovery process has forced the governing body to make its financial statements public for the first time in years. The documents show that NASCAR earned over $100 million in 2024 and more than $500 million in 2023.

“NASCAR posted a $103 million profit in 2024. They had to make a financial statement - and that’s what they were trying not to do. For some reason, this lawsuit has gone too far and if you remember, the judge said, ‘Y’all are going to burn the house down.’ They’re still trying to solve this, but they’re getting close to burning it down right now,” Wallace added (1:45 onwards).

Kenny Wallace referenced Judge Kenneth Bell’s repeated appeals for compromise. Earlier this month, Bell dismissed NASCAR’s counterclaim that 23XI, Front Row, and Curtis Polk had colluded illegally, ruling that the teams’ collective negotiations did not restrain trade. Still, two crucial summary judgment motions remain undecided, and the December trial could determine how the sport’s power structure operates for years to come.

The next major hearing is set for November 12, when the court will review pretrial motions and expert testimony challenges.

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Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar