The battle over NASCAR’s charter system has reached a new boiling point. On Tuesday, NASCAR filed a motion for summary judgment ahead of the trial set for December 1. The filing included signed declarations from several Cup Series team owners, including the big three — Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, and Roger Penske — supporting the charter system.
The declarations essentially urged all sides to resolve the dispute and move forward with what is best for the sport, which they believe is the current model. NASCAR argued, citing these testimonials, that it had the support of the team owners and that the antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports is in a bad light.
Jeffrey Kessler, 23XI/FRM attorney, noted in response that the declarations were just supportive of his client’s position because they inadvertently prove the fact that every team is entirely dependent on the charter system for financial survival and that NASCAR has complete control of said system.
With fires catching on all sides, Denny Hamlin brought a can of fuel to agitate it even further. The 23XI Racing co-owner cited the wordings of NASCAR attorney Christopher Yates to argue NASCAR’s brutal character.
“In case you are wondering who threatened the system,” he wrote on X, pointing to how the attorney claimed NASCAR would be fine going to back to the pre-charter model.
In case you’re wondering who threatened the system. https://t.co/s4a744ZXVB pic.twitter.com/4UDmbzEqr2
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) October 4, 2025
What Team Owners Said in Their Declarations
Should 23XI Racing and Front Row
Motorsports prevail in this fight, the financial model of NASCAR would change forever, and there would be no guarantee that the teams could survive. This possibility is something that appears to spook team owners.
Gibbs wrote, “The most important thing to me is that this lawsuit is resolved amicably, quickly, and in a manner that preserves the charter system and the long-term viability of our incredible sport. That must happen to ensure the health, happiness, and prosperity of our many hundreds of employees and their families. Nothing matters more to me.”
NASCAR tonight has filed a motion for a summary judgment containing declarations from several significant team owners, including Rick Hendrick, Roger Penske, Joe Gibbs, Richard Childress, Brad Keselowski and more. In short, the owners say the charter system must be preserved and…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 4, 2025
Hendrick, too, expressed similar thoughts and added that the charter system was essential for his team’s continued stability. He does not think it would bring any good to undo what NASCAR and every team owner collectively negotiated and settled on.
Penske went a step further and heaped praise on the Next Gen car. He contended that the car reduced costs by a huge amount. This is particularly surprising since many other team owners have claimed that nothing of the sort has happened.
With NASCAR standing firm, 23XI and Front Row not giving up ground, and team owners calling for peace, the action heads towards the December 1 trial. Whether the issue is sorted via a settlement or in court, the result is bound to leave a big mark on NASCAR’s future.
Be the first to comment