$65M team owner Denny Hamlin issues alleged response to NASCAR attorney’s statement regarding 23XI and FRM 

23XI team owner Denny Hamlin, who has a net worth of $65M (according to celebritynetworth), has seemingly addressed NASCAR attorney Chris Yates's remarks about 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports (FRM) in his latest social media post. Yates questioned whether the teams truly wanted to grow the sport.

The controversy started with Yates's statement. In the statement, he insinuated that teams 23XI Racing and FRM had no growth potential, and NASCAR would only be interested in working with teams that do. In his exact words, shared by Racing America's Taylor Kitchen on X,

"NASCAR wants to work with teams to grow the sport. I don't know if 23XI and Front Row truly want to grow the sport, so I don't know what the path toward a resolution here is at the moment."

While promoting his appearance at the NASCAR Experience stage on Saturday at 10:45 am, Hamlin wrote about actively promoting and growing in the sport, which might be an indirect response to Yates's statement about Denny Hamlin's team worth a growth potential in NASCAR. He wrote,

"Come see me actively promoting and growing our sport this Saturday."

The conflict between 23XI Racing, FRM, and NASCAR is a part of the ongoing charter system dispute. NASCAR introduced a new charter agreement for the 2025-2031 seasons with a signing deadline. Thirteen out of fifteen teams agreed, but 23XI and FRM refused to sign the agreement.

NASCAR views charters as franchises, giving guaranteed entry into races and increased revenue. Since the two teams didn’t sign, NASCAR attempted to revoke their charters. In response, 23XI and FRM sought a court injunction to retain their charters while the legal battle played out. The judge ruled in their favor, allowing them to keep competing in 2025.

Now, in a surprising twist, NASCAR has filed a lawsuit against 23XI and FRM, accusing them of violating antitrust laws. NASCAR reportedly claims the teams engaged in anti-competitive behavior during negotiations and tried to force NASCAR into accepting their terms. Michael Jordan’s agent, Curtis Polk, is named in the lawsuit as well. NASCAR defended its position, stating,

"The undisputed reality is that it is 23XI and FRM, led by 23XI's owner and sports agent Curtis Polk, that willfully violated the antitrust laws by orchestrating anti-competitive collective conduct in connection with the terms of the 2025 Charter Agreements." (via Racing News)

As per reports, the governing body further accused the teams of attempting to pressure NASCAR through media campaigns, interfering with broadcast negotiations, and threatening to boycott events.

Jeffrey Kessler, attorney for 23XI and FRM, dismissed NASCAR's lawsuit as an attempt to divert attention from its own monopolistic practices. He stated,

"Today’s counterclaim by NASCAR is a meritless distraction and a desperate attempt to shift attention away from its own unlawful, monopolistic actions"(via Racing News)

Kessler pointed out that NASCAR initially agreed to joint negotiations, only to later impose terms on teams through individual agreements. He also said that his clients' legal action is aimed at making NASCAR fairer for all stakeholders.

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Denny Hamlin talks about a key factor in Roger Penske's NASCAR turmoil

Denny Hamlin weighed in on the potential NASCAR penalty looming over Roger Penske's driver, Austin Cindric. The issue arose after Cindric made contact with Ty Dillon at Circuit of the Americas, sending Dillon spinning on the frontstretch. Dillon's team believes the move was intentional, sparking debate over whether Cindric should be penalized.

Hamlin suggested that the race data would be crucial in determining Cindric's fate. Speaking on his podcast 'Actions Detrimental,' Hamlin shared,

"I don’t have the data to sit here and say did he or did he not turn hard left? If the data shows it, it’s going to be a hard one to avoid a penalty. But if it looks 50-50, I think that they’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and tell him, 'Buddy, you were close on that one.'"

Cindric's potential penalty could have significant consequences. Under NASCAR's new rules, if he is found guilty of intentionally wrecking Dillon, he could face a suspension and start the playoffs with a minimum of 2000 points if he qualifies.