NASCAR lawsuit update involves Chris Yates known for high-profile clients in 23XI-FRM case

NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass unearthed from the court filings related to the 23XI and Front Row Motorsports lawsuit that Chris Yates will be representing NASCAR. Yates is a prominent attorney specializing in cases such as the ongoing legal action against the stock car racing league.

For the uninitiated, 23XI and Front Row Motorsports filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and its CEO Jim France on October 2. The two Cup Series teams believe the league is a monopoly, arguing that it engages in anti-competitive practices to prevent fair competition in the sport.

In an X (formerly Twitter) post, Pockrass wrote:

“According to court filings in 23XI/FRM case, NASCAR will be represented by Chris Yates, a noted attorney whose client list includes the U.S. Soccer Federation, the UFC, World Aquatics, Fanatics, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.”

As previously mentioned, Yates has represented various sports clients, including the U.S. Soccer Federation and UFC. He has a successful track record, having won several cases on behalf of the Federation. One notable example is his defense of claims related to the exclusion of regular-season Spanish league games from the United States.

Yates is currently involved in the ongoing monopsony class-action lawsuit filed by mixed martial arts fighters against the UFC.

Meanwhile, 23XI and FRM’s camp will be represented by Jeffrey Kessler, a renowned antitrust, sports law, and trial lawyer who also serves as the co-executive chairman of Chicago-based law firm Winston & Strawn.

In an interview with former Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kessler argued that NASCAR is a monopoly, saying:

“What we are arguing here is that NASCAR is a monopoly," Kessler said. "No surprise to NASCAR fans; there is no alternative to NASCAR not just in this country but frankly, around the world. And it got its monopoly illegally. The reason it got it illegally is because it tied up all the racetracks in the country. Because it doesn't let any of the teams compete for any other racing circuit.”

The lawsuit addresses several alleged anti-competitive practices, including acquiring stock car racing rival Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), imposing exclusivity deals on NASCAR-sanctioned racetracks, and forcing teams to buy parts for the Next Gen car from single-source suppliers chosen by the league itself, among others.

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Cup Series drivers react to the 23XI/FRM-NASCAR lawsuit

Some Cup Series Playoff drivers voiced their opinions regarding the ongoing legal battle between 23XI/FRM and the league.

Denny Hamlin from 23XI himself quoted a line from Brad Pitt’s Moneyball (2011) in response to the criticism surrounding the lawsuit. Here's what the co-owner and driver of Joe Gibbs Racing wrote on X (via Frontstretch):

“Michael Jordan, he sent me an awesome clip from the Moneyball, where John Henry's saying, 'The first one through the wall always gets bloodied.' But in the end it's because you are threatening status quo, you're threatening people's jobs and things like that.” [3:00]

He added:

“I just hope it's not seen that way. Just seeing that certainly this in an opportunity for us to try to promote change in the sport that’s positive for everyone, and that's teams, drivers, fans, everyone. So, I feel like, certainly on our end, it's actually been good for me.”

Meanwhile, Kyle Larson believes that the ongoing legal battle is one of the biggest stories in the sport in a long time. While Larson didn’t pick a side, the Hendrick Motorsports driver said that he would follow the latest developments.

Other Cup Series drivers remained mum regarding the matter, with Joey Logano saying that it didn’t affect him and that his focus was on winning the championship.