NASCAR states in court document that the lawsuit by the two teams is an "attempt to extort more favorable contract terms."

XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are suing NASCAR for antitrust violations, potentially jeopardizing their participation in future races.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season is starting to wind down but the antitrust court case between 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports and the sanctioning body is starting to heat up. On Wednesday, NASCAR filed its response to the plaintiffs/teams' motion for expedited discovery and unexpectedly included a claim of extortion.

XI Racing and Front Row are taking on NASCAR in an anti-trust lawsuit, challenging revenue splits and aiming for fairer terms. But it could all go very wrong.

23XI Racing, which is co-owned by sporting legend Michael Jordan and veteran driver Denny Hamlin, in addition to Front Row Motorsports, owned by restaurant franchisee Bob Jenkins, sued NASCAR and chairman Jim France alleging that the league is a monopoly that unequitably enriches itself at the expense of its teams.

Front Row Motorsports received two of the original Charters from NASCAR in 2016 and signed the extension for those Charters which expire Dec. 31, 2024. The team states in the suit that even though it made the playoffs in 2021 and 2023, it “has never generated a profit.”

The attorney for the two teams, Jeffrey Kessler, told The Athletic they were asking for “very modest relief” from the judge.