More filings made in antitrust lawsuit as trial nears

Friday was the deadline for NASCAR and teams to file exhibits for use by the judgement in summary judgement rulings [which Judge Bell has said he will not do].

According to one report by Motorsport: “There were countless emails, text messages and documents unsealed on Friday as part of the build-up to the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports v NASCAR antitrust lawsuit trial set to begin on December 1.

They included NASCAR commissioner, then president, Steve Phelps telling president, then chief operating officer Steve O’Donnell that ‘a knife’ needed to be put into ‘this trash series’ in reference to SRX when they realized Denny Hamlin had agreed to run the season opener that summer.  ”

Furthermore, “The Race Team Alliance, across 2022 and 2023, explored having exhibition races independent of NASCAR but using Cup Series drivers at events in unorthodox locations like the Sultanate of Oman, Mexico City, New Orleans, Downtown Nashville and Churchill Downs.

…

This has to be viewed through the context of the race teams negotiating with NASCAR over the charter extension negotiation in the sense that the Race Team Alliance were simultaneously exploring best ways to leverage their intellectual properties while also trying to leverage a better deal from the Sanctioning Body.”

The trial is scheduled to get underway on Monday, December 1 if a settlement is not reached before then.

Some of the documents are included below:

For previous posts and information, see the 2024 Antitrust Lawsuit page.