NASCAR star Bubba Wallace grilled on 23XI future after huge court ruling

NASCAR star Bubba Wallace point-blank refused to answer questions on his 23XI Racing future despite a grilling from the media at Michigan International Speedway.

The Cup Series is set to see 200 laps of exciting racing action at the 2-mile oval on Sunday, but ahead of this weekend's race, a seismic decision affecting the sport was made in court.

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On Thursday, a federal appeals court overturned a key ruling previously made in the ongoing lawsuit between 23XI, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR, that allowed the two teams to continue to race with chartered status in 2025.

And, with this latest ruling now made, 23XI and FRM face losing their NASCAR charters, with potentially massive implications that come with that.

If the teams were made to compete as 'open' entries, they would have to qualify their way in to each race, and they would also lose 'tens of millions' of dollars, according to 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin.

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Bubba Wallace refuses to answer questions on 23XI future

Another potential implication of losing their chartered status would be with regards to their drivers, with 23XI having argued previously that their driver lineup depended on chartered status.

For example, Riley Herbst's contract with the team requires that he be provided with a chartered car, according to previous court documents, whilst court records also reveal that Wallace also informed 23XI last year that he needed to know how they intended to compete in 2025 - as an open entry or chartered team - so that he could explore seats with other teams if necessary.

With that in mind, Wallace was questioned on his future with the team ahead of this weekend's action in Michigan, but he refused to provide any answers.

“The focus is on fast cars today, fellas, so that’s the answers you’re gonna get,” Wallace told the media at Michigan International Speedway ahead of qualifying.

Asked if he was concerned about the future, Wallace replied: “You know the answer already, you can let Denny [Hamlin] answer on that stuff.

“You’re not going to get an answer that you’re going to want to hear from me."

Asked about his contract at 23XI and negotiations, Wallace once again refused to be drawn in: “Come on now, let’s talk about Michigan dawg, you ain’t getting no comment, come on, jesus.”

Wallace went on to qualify ninth later in the day and will therefore start Sunday's race on the fifth row of the grid.

READ MORE: Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing face losing 'tens of millions' after major NASCAR court ruling

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