The ongoing NASCAR charter dispute has escalated significantly as NASCAR filed a motion for summary judgment against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports in early October 2025. This lawsuit, centered on claims about the legitimacy and fairness of the charter system, is set to proceed to trial on December 1. Amidst this mounting legal tension, Denny Hamlin has voiced strong opposition, expressing feelings of betrayal and challenging NASCAR’s stance, while prominent team owners uphold the current system.
At the core of this conflict is the focus on the Brad Keselowski NASCAR lawsuit, which brings attention to the sport’s control over drivers’ contracts and participation in outside racing series. Keselowski’s involvement highlights deeper issues regarding competitive opportunities and the influence of charter ownership in maintaining team value and the sport’s business model.
Brad Keselowski’s Legal Statement Sheds Light on Driver Participation Outside NASCAR
Brad Keselowski’s recent legal declaration has provided crucial insight into the dispute, emphasizing his right to compete in other motorsports without restriction. Keselowski explained,
“As a successful driver, I love competing in all sorts of motorsports. I was approached by a short-track series called Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) about driving in SRX races. SRX was a series composed of stock vehicles that raced on short tracks in America. Unlike many motorsports series, including the Cup Series, there were no separately owned teams in SRX. Instead, SRX owned all cars, directly hired drivers, and provided the pit crews.”
This statement, submitted under penalty of perjury, challenges the perception that NASCAR restricts its drivers’ outside engagements.
Keselowski further declared,
“I raced in the entire SRX series season (six races) in 2023 while continuing as a co-owner of, and driver for, a Cup Series team. NASCAR did not prohibit my participation in the SRX series,”
highlighting a direct contradiction to the sport’s historically enforced limitations on driver involvement in alternative or lower-tier racing series. Despite NASCAR’s official rules limiting Cup Series drivers to a handful of starts in the Xfinity and Truck Series, participation in independent ventures like SRX has remained less clearly governed yet remains a point of contention.
The SRX, co-founded by NASCAR legends Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham, operates as a short-track stock car racing series, which serves as a niche competitor in the motorsports entertainment market. Keselowski’s full-time engagement in the 2023 SRX season, where he tied for second in the championship standings with races held at tracks such as Stafford Motor Speedway and Eldora Speedway, is cited as evidence against NASCAR’s alleged monopolistic control over driver contracts and external ventures.
This positioning has been echoed in social media remarks, with reporter Adam Stern quoting Keselowski’s statement:
.@Keselowski in new @NASCAR filing tonight:
“I was approached by a short-track series called Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) about driving in SRX races. I raced in the entire SRX series season (six races) in 2023. … NASCAR did not prohibit my participation in the SRX series.”
Team Owners Support NASCAR’s Charter Structure Amidst Dispute
Alongside Keselowski’s involvement, significant voices from NASCAR’s leadership and prominent team owners have underscored the importance of maintaining the current charter system. Richard Childress, a veteran team owner, emphasized the economic realities and business model challenges faced by Cup Series teams. He remarked,
The Charter system has helped create long–term equity value and has allowed for team equity value to grow. Without Charters, the team ownership model is unsustainable. That is why I remain committed to finding a mutually agreeable solution that will provide permanent Charters to all Charter holders,”
signaling his support for preserving the existing system to ensure team sustainability.
Roger Penske, another influential team owner, stressed his confidence in NASCAR’s system by sharing his experience since its inception in 2016. He noted,
“I believe in the value of the NASCAR Charter system,”
and further revealed his initiative to replicate a similar model in another racing series. Penske explained,
“I decided to create a Charter-type system in IndyCar. In 2024, the NTT INDY CAR SERIES and all teams racing full-time in IndyCar entered into a charter agreement effective for the 2025 season.”
He cited this as an example of how charter agreements can contribute to a series’ value and stability.
These endorsements from established NASCAR figures reflect the growing tensions as Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing challenge the charter framework with their lawsuit. The division within the paddock continues to deepen, with Hamlin positioned firmly against the entrenched establishment.
Denny Hamlin Responds Forcefully to NASCAR’s Legal Maneuvers
Before the lawsuit’s formal court proceedings, a unified front existed among race teams demanding permanent NASCAR charters to secure economic stability and sponsor trust. The Race Team Alliance advocated for this over two years. However, NASCAR surprised teams by introducing a new charter deal on short notice, which many perceived as dismissive of prior negotiations.
In response, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, owners of 23XI Racing, declined to sign the offer and filed the lawsuit that now threatens to reshape the sport. NASCAR countered by accusing 23XI Racing of attempting to dismantle NASCAR itself, arguing in their motion that issues of greed or personal frustration should not justify an assault on the sport’s foundation.
Following Judge Kenneth D. Bell’s remarks hinting that the charter system might evolve even if retained, several team owners demanded a swift resolution, underscoring stakes for those reliant on charter stability. NASCAR used these demands as a legal counterpoint in its case against Hamlin and others.
Hamlin publicly challenged NASCAR’s claims by quoting lawyer Christopher Yates, highlighting NASCAR’s own admitted willingness to revert to the pre-charter model. On social media, Hamlin posted,
“NASCAR would be perfectly fine going back to that pre-charter model.”
and added the caption,
“In case you’re wondering who threatened the system.”
This served as a direct rebuke to NASCAR’s assertion that 23XI Racing was the threat to the sport’s structure.
Jeffrey Kessler, 23XI’s legal representative, dismantled NASCAR’s summary judgment motion, asserting,
“We are confident NASCAR’s summary judgment motion is not going to succeed. This lawsuit has always been about making NASCAR more competitive and fair for the benefit of drivers, sponsors, teams, and fans who love the sport.”
This reinforces the plaintiffs’ position that the suit aims to improve the sport’s competitive environment and fairness rather than weaken it.
Implications for NASCAR’s Charter System and Future Developments
As this high-profile legal confrontation unfolds, the outcome will have lasting consequences for NASCAR’s governance, team ownership models, and drivers’ freedoms. The dichotomy between maintaining the charter system for financial sustainability and challenging it for greater competitive equity remains stark. Denny Hamlin’s vocal opposition to Brad Keselowski’s aligned stance with NASCAR adds a personal and strategic dimension to a legal fight emblematic of broader industry tensions.
With the December trial date approaching, all parties are preparing for what may redefine how NASCAR controls driver participation, team value, and its overall competitive framework. Fans, sponsors, and stakeholders alike watch closely, as the verdict could reshape the future of the sport’s business and regulatory environment.
.@Keselowski in new @NASCAR filing tonight: "I was approached by a short-track series called Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) about driving in SRX races. I raced in the entire SRX series season (six races) in 2023. … NASCAR did not prohibit my participation in the SRX series."
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) October 4, 2025
