Denny Hamlin drops clear verdict on his $3.5B-worth partner’s right-hand man amid NASCAR's 'surprising' accusations

Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing have been countersued by NASCAR amid their ongoing antitrust lawsuit, alleging a conspiracy to manipulate interstate trade. Court documents highlighted Jordan’s business partner, Curtis Polk, in the case. Hamlin has since addressed the situation, sharing his perspective on the legal battle.

Curtin Polk and $3.5B worth Michael Jordan (via Forbes) have been business partners since before the latter purchased NBA team Charlotte Hornets, where Polk served as Vice Chairman. Their relationship is based on years of trust, and as per ESPN, Polk is considered Jordan's right hand man.

NASCAR claims in their legal documents about Polk's alleged ways to manipulate the sanctioning body to make a decision that favored 23XI/FRM ahead of the 2025 Cup Series season. An excerpt of the legal document regarding Polk's alleged conspiracy read:

"Curtis Polk knowingly and actively orchestrated and participated in this illegal conspiracy, while working as a member of the TNC on behalf of the RTA and aiding 23XI’s and Front Row’s participation in the scheme, also constituting a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act." (as quoted by NBC)

Denny Hamlin, who pilots the #11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, backed his business partner at 23XI, calling him one of the 'most respected' businessmen in the sporting world.

"Certainly, I was very surprised to hear some of the accusations that were said. All I can really tell you is that I've been in business now with Curtis (Polk) for five years. The guy is one of the most respected businessmen in all of sports. He's been in the business in multiple Sports, he helped us build this race team into a championship-caliber team by year five," he said [41:51 onwards]

Moreover, Hamlin then shared that he found several 'laughable' statements in NASCAR's document submitted to court

"I found many of those things quite laughable. My favorite was saying that Curtis doesn't know NASCAR business. I don't even know how to give you an analogy but that's like saying a chef doesn't know how to cook," Denny Hamlin added.

Meanwhile, the three-time Dayton 500 winner's 2025 Cup Series season started with disappointment at Daytona, however, the Virginia native has since recovered, as he finished the race at Phoenix in P2.

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Denny Hamlin left searching for answers as JGR teammate dominates with third straight Phoenix victory

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell continues his dominant start to the 2025 Cup Series season, capturing his third win in just four races. The last driver to accomplish this was Kyle Larson during his championship-winning campaign.

Meanwhile, JGR teammate Denny Hamlin has openly questioned what Bell is doing differently to achieve such remarkable success (via Bob Pockrass on X) :

"It's so hard for me to analyze it from the outside because I am not embedded at their team as much as I am with my own team" Denny Hamlin said. "'Is our car better? Is it circumstances in a speedway race or a road course race, or this one?' I guess he probably dominated, right? So circumstance or not, three in a row is pretty impressive and whatever they're doing is working well."

Meanwhile, NASCAR's next event is scheduled to be held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Catch the Pennzoil 400 on March 16th, exclusively available on FOX Sports 1 and SiriusXM.