Judge rules NASCAR can issue Cup Series charters in 23XI and FRM ruling

A judge has denied 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports a preliminary injunction in their legal battle against NASCAR.

The hope for the injunction was to restore the teams' de facto charter status and stop NASCAR issuing charters to other organizations.

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The basis of the ruling comes down to NASCAR guaranteeing that they will not sell or reissue the teams' charters specifically before a final decision is made on the broader case in December, but issue from an expanded pool of four extra charters.

Judge Kenneth D. Bell found that this prevented the teams from suffering imminent harm between now and the December 1 trial, writing: “The Court concludes that in light of NASCAR’s renewed commitments to the Court, a Preliminary Injunction limited to preventing the reissuance / sale of the disputed Charters is not necessary or appropriate, even for the very short time until a jury decides the merits of Plaintiffs’ claims.”

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The ruling continued: “And, again, the loss of the ‘fixed’ Charter payouts and the uncertainty of ongoing relationships with drivers and sponsors can either be compensated with money damages at trial or is simply inherent in the risks associated with the lawsuit.

"What will happen for the 2026 racing season will remain unsettled for everyone involved in the NASCAR Cup Series until after trial (or an earlier resolution among the Parties). Therefore, there is no irreparable harm with respect to the loss of ‘Charter rights’ for the remainder of the 2025 Cup Series.”

Jeffrey Kessler, the attorney representing the teams, released a statement saying: "We are grateful that Judge Bell has made clear that the status quo is being maintained – protecting my clients’ rights to regain their charters if they prevail at trial and ensuring their ability to continue racing through the 2025 season based on NASCAR’s commitments.

"Equally important, Judge Bell reaffirmed his broad power to order meaningful changes in NASCAR should we succeed, so that teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans can benefit from a sport positioned for long-term growth and restored competition. We are ready to present our case at trial in December."

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