Connect with us

Published

on

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The two teams suing NASCAR asked a judge for a preliminary injunction Wednesday so they can compete next season under the charter system they are challenging as their antitrust case moves through federal court.

23XI Racing, which is owned by Michael Jordan, veteran driver Denny Hamlin and Curtis Polk, and Front Row Motorsports, owned by Bob Jenkins, sued NASCAR and chairman Jim France last week in the Western District of North Carolina. The two teams accused NASCAR of being “monopolistic bullies” after refusing to sign new charters proposed by the stock car series.

The charter system is a revenue-sharing model that is similar to a franchise in other professional sports. Although charters can be sold and leased, the charters have contractually binding terms, expiration dates and can be revoked by NASCAR. Teams fought to have them made permanent but NASCAR would not consider the issue and the newest extension runs through 2031.

23XI and Front Row allege in their suit that the agreement that goes into effect next season limits competition by unfairly binding teams to the series, its tracks and its suppliers. 23XI and Front Row were the only two organizations out of 15 that refused to sign; almost every other team has said they signed on deadline only because NASCAR threatened to do away with the charter system entirely.

23XI and Front Row have hired Jeffrey Kessler, a top antitrust attorney who has represented the players in all four major professional North American sports. Kessler told The Associated Press that the two teams would sign the 2025 agreements if they receive a court order that would release them from a clause that prohibits teams from suing NASCAR.

“A court order will prevent [NASCAR] from enforcing that release term, and that way we can compete with the charters while we litigate against you going forward,” Kessler said. “We would sign them if they cannot enforce the antitrust release. If we don’t win the motion, then [the teams] will have to compete open.”

Jenkins told AP that the two teams stand to miss out on $45 million in combined revenue if they compete as un-chartered teams. But, he’s willing to do so for Front Row because he believes the case against NASCAR is winnable.

“We’re pretty confident about this lawsuit or we wouldn’t be doing it,” Jenkins said. “There’s a lot of money out there. I’m hoping NASCAR won’t fight the injunction and we can move forward.”

Polk, who is Jordan’s longtime right-hand man and part of the 23XI ownership group, told AP he hoped Wednesday’s filing “highlights for Cup teams, their drivers, employees, sponsors and fans how restrictive is the economic system that we operate under.”

“The system is what enabled a take-it-or-leave offer, coupled with the threat of losing our charters on September 6th,” he said.

NASCAR has not commented on the lawsuit and does not comment on pending litigation.

23XI and Front Row currently field two cars each in the elite Cup Series and have reiterated to AP they intend to compete in 2025 as three-car teams with or without the charters. Front Row in May purchased an additional charter from Stewart-Haas Racing and 23XI in August entered a purchase agreement with SHR for a charter.

Tyler Reddick of 23XI was the regular-season champion and he and Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, head into Sunday’s playoff elimination race at Charlotte Motor Speedway still eligible for the Cup title.

The latest filing asks for immediate access to documents and files from six NASCAR executives, three of whom are members of the series-owning France family. NASCAR was founded in 1948 by the late Bill France Sr. and is currently run by his son, Jim, while his granddaughter Lesa France Kennedy, and great-grandson, Ben Kennedy, have senior executive roles.

Kessler is also seeking documents from NASCAR President Steve Phelps, chief operating officer Steve O’Donnell and Scott Prime, the senior vice president of global strategy.

NASCAR’s final offer was presented to the teams less than 48 hours before the September playoff-opening race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Teams were initially given a deadline of one hour to sign the 100-plus page document, but after they balked, the deadline was extended until midnight.

“NASCAR’s dominant control over racing is not because of its superior skill or business acumen, but rather its history of exclusionary acts and restrictive agreements that have stifled competition through its monopoly power,” Kessler said. “We believe our expedited discovery requests of NASCAR and the France family will shed light on their anticompetitive practices and support a preliminary injunction ruling that 23XI and Front Row Motorsports have a legally protected right to race next year while our antitrust case proceeds in court.”

Among the items requested are documents surrounding NASCAR’s contracts with independently owned racetracks that have hosted Cup Series races since 2016; NASCAR’s acquisitions of International Speedway Corporation (ISC) and Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA); and the charter agreement provisions that restrict teams from competing in non-NASCAR events and from using Next Gen parts and cars in non-NASCAR events.

Continue Reading

Sports

Ohtani blasts two HRs to halt 10-game drought

Published

on

By

Ohtani blasts two HRs to halt 10-game drought

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani hit two homers in an 11-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night, emphatically ending the three-time MVP’s longest homer drought since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ohtani led off the bottom of the first with his 24th homer, hammering Landen Roupp‘s fourth pitch 419 feet deep into the right-field bleachers with an exit velocity of 110.3 mph.

The slugger had been in a 10-game homer drought since June 2, going 10-for-40 in that stretch with no RBIs, although he still had an eight-game hitting streak during his power outage.

Ohtani led off the sixth with his 25th homer, sending Tristan Beck‘s breaking ball outside the strike zone into the bleachers in right. He also moved one homer behind the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and Seattle’s Cal Raleigh for the overall major league lead.

Dodgers fans brought him home with a standing ovation as Ohtani produced his third multihomer game of the season and the 22nd of his career.

Ohtani reached base four times and scored three runs in his first four at-bats, drawing two walks to go with his two homers.

Ohtani hadn’t played in 10 straight games without hitting a homer since 2023 in the final 10 games of his six-year tenure with the Los Angeles Angels.

Ohtani had slowed down a bit over the past two weeks after he was named the NL Player of the Month for May with a formidable performance, racking up 15 homers and 28 RBIs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Dobbins’ second win over Yanks caps ‘fun’ week

Published

on

By

Dobbins' second win over Yanks caps 'fun' week

BOSTON — Hunter Dobbins had quite the week.

First, he said last weekend that he would rather retire than pitch for the Yankees because his father was drafted by New York twice before being traded.

Then, he went out and beat the Yankees.

A few days after his comments about never wanting to pitch for New York, he had to defend his dad’s story about being drafted by the Yankees in response to a New York Post article that cited multiple official databases and the Yankees’ own records that couldn’t confirm Lance Dobbins ever played with the organization.

On Saturday night, Dobbins (4-1) followed up by going six shutout innings in Boston’s 4-3 victory over New York, his second win over the Yankees in less than a week.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m more worried about just the win column, whether it’s against them or anybody. My job is to try and help this team win as many ballgames as we can, and pitch in meaningful playoff baseball games. That’s what I’m more focused on.”

But he realizes what it means to the fan base in this longtime rivalry, with the Red Sox fans heard chanting about the Yankees outside the park before he spoke in an interview room.

“Yeah, I love being able to perform and get those wins for the fans here,” he said. “They deserve it. It’s a great city, passionate fan base, so being able to get those wins — especially twice in one week — means a lot and looking forward to trying to build on that going forward.”

In his victory over New York last Sunday, Dobbins held the Yankees to three runs over five innings, two on a first-inning homer by Aaron Judge.

On Saturday night, Judge went 0-for-3 against him, striking out twice on curveballs.

“It was just kind of scouting,” Dobbins said of his game plan against New York’s slugger after Garrett Crochet struck him out three times in the series opener Friday.

“Crochet has an electric fastball. I can throw it hard, but the shape isn’t quite as elite,” he said. “So we knew we had better weapons to go at him with, so I felt like we did a good job of kind of keeping a balanced attack throughout the order.”

Dobbins struck out five and gave up only two singles Saturday.

Continue Reading

Sports

Rockies have worst 70-game mark since 1899

Published

on

By

Rockies have worst 70-game mark since 1899

ATLANTA — Kyle Farmer just shrugged when asked about being part of a Colorado Rockies team that has the fewest wins through 70 games since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders.

“We don’t care,” Farmer said after Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves left Colorado with a 13-57 record.

The Rockies have the fourth-fewest wins by any team through their first 70 decisions in a season in MLB history, and the fewest since the 1899 Spiders won 12 of their first 70 decisions. Colorado (.186 win percentage) is currently on pace to go 30-132 this season.

“I mean, there’s nothing we can do about it,” Farmer said. “It is what it is. We’ve just got to show up tomorrow and play. There’s nothing you can really say about it except that if it happens, it happens.”

The Rockies made more inglorious history by setting a franchise nine-inning record with 19 strikeouts. That’s a lot of futility for one team to absorb in one day.

The 19 strikeouts by Braves pitchers also set an Atlanta record for a nine-inning game. Spencer Strider recorded 13 strikeouts in six innings, followed by relievers Rafael Montero and Dylan Lee, who combined for six more whiffs.

The only bright spot for the Rockies was the encouraging start by rookie right-hander Chase Dollander, a native of Evans, Georgia, who allowed four runs, three earned, in six innings.

The Rockies have 10 fewer wins than the Chicago White Sox, who have the second-worst record in the majors at 23-48.

Dollander said “just having a neutral mindset” is the key to remaining positive through a season already filled with low points for the team.

“Don’t ride the roller coaster,” Dollander said. “You know, there’s going to be lots of ups and downs in this game. This game is really hard. So it’s just, you know, staying neutral and we just keep going.”

Dollander was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 summer draft. Among other top young players on the team are catcher Hunter Goodman, who might return to Atlanta for the All-Star Game on July 15, and outfielders Jordan Beck and Brenton Doyle.

“You know we’re going to have our time,” Dollander said. “I mean, it’s just one of those things that you kind of learn as you go. I’ve been very fortunate to be here for a little bit now, and I can help us going forward.”

The 34-year-old Farmer said one of his jobs is to help the younger players endure the losses.

“For sure, keeping guys accountable and teaching them the right way to do stuff,” said Farmer, the first baseman whose double off Strider was one of only four hits for the Rockies.

“Keeping their heads up and they’ve got to show up each day and play, no matter our record. It’s your job and you worked your whole life to get here. Enjoy it. This is a great opportunity for a young guy to show what they can do.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Trending