23XI owner opens up on new NASCAR legal filings from rivals

Denny Hamlin has opened up on ten of his fellow NASCAR team owners signing letters asking for the continuation of the charter system, amid his team's legal dispute with the series.

The letters were submitted as part of a NASCAR filing to Judge Kenneth D. Bell, with NASCAR essentially asking Bell to make a ruling against 23XI and Front Row Motorsports ahead of a likely December 1st trial.

The owners who wrote and signed letters did so at the behest of NASCAR (while making it clear that they weren't being forced to do so), but Hamlin claimed on Saturday at Charlotte that getting the letters may have been counterproductive for NASCAR.

Jeffrey Kessler, representing 23XI and FRM, called the declarations 'supportive' of his clients' side, saying: “They have supported charters because teams cannot survive without them. The declarations from team owners and executives acknowledge this same economic reality."

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Hamlin 'not surprised' by owners' letters

Speaking carefully ahead of this weekend's Charlotte Roval race, Hamlin added: "Nothing surprised me. I didn't think it was super helpful for them. Honestly, I thought it was more helpful for us. Obviously, as (the team owners all) said, they were asked to do it.”

Asked about the mental state of his team's employees given the uncertainty around their long-term status in the sport, he said: “I think the morale is good. We’ve had discussions with our employees. They know where they stand in the short term and the long term with the company no matter the outcome.”

Each side has, naturally, called the teams' submissions a win for their own point of view, with a NASCAR statement reading: “Today’s filing demonstrates that NASCAR’s charter system has the support of race teams throughout the garage, and that the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports lawsuit is not in the best interests of the sport.

"This lawsuit is not about antitrust; it is merely an attempt to renegotiate an agreement that was signed and is being honored by all other race teams.”

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