Michael Jordan, 23IX Racing called an 'illegal cartel' in NASCAR countersuit

Last October, Michael Jordan took a bold step toward dunking on NASCAR.

The six-time NBA champion and the stock-car racing team he co-owns — 23IX Racing — filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and CEO Jim France along with Front Row Motorsports, accusing NASCAR of “anti-competitive practices to prevent fair competition in the sport.”

The lawsuit challenged NASCAR’s “charter” agreement, which dictates how much money Cup Series teams make through media rights revenue sharing and certain monetary guarantees. 23IX Racing and Front Row refused to sign a seven-year extension of the agreement.

“Everyone knows that I have always been a fierce competitor and that will to win is what drives me and the entire 23XI team each and every week out on the track,” Jordan said in a statement. “I love the sport of racing and the passion of our fans, but the way NASCAR is run today is unfair to teams, drivers, sponsors and fans. (The lawsuit) shows I’m willing to fight for a competitive market where everyone wins.”

On Wednesday, NASCAR moved to block Jordan's shot. It filed a countersuit against Jordan's 23IX Racing, his longtime business partner Curtis Polk and Front Row Motorsports, calling them an "illegal cartel" with a "scheme to pressure NASCAR to accept their collusive terms." The suit identifies Polk as the leader.

“Curtis Polk basically orchestrated and threatened a boycott of one of the qualifying races for a major event and others did not go along with him,” NASCAR attorney Christopher Yates told the Associated Press. “He got other teams to boycott a meeting that was required by the charter.

"When you have a threatened boycott of qualifying races that are covered by media, that’s not a good thing for other race teams, not a good thing when you are trying to collectively grow the sport.”

Jeffrey Kessler, the attorney who is representing 23XI and Front Row, dismissed NASCAR's counterclaim as "a meritless distraction and a desperate attempt to shift attention away from its own unlawful, monopolistic actions."

“NASCAR agreed to the joint negotiations that they now attack," Kessler told the AP. "When those joint negotiations failed, they used individual negotiations to impose their charter terms, which most of the teams decided they had no choice but to accept.”

This race is far from over. And you can expect more paint to be traded.