The NASCAR - 23XI Racing Dispute Reaches The Court

^{Nov 7, 2024 | Edition #94}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

Well... what a week NASCAR's been having. And no, we are not talking about the buildup to the title fight. Although we'll come to that in due time, today the Lucky Dog has some bizarre updates for you, surrounding teams trying to cheat their way into the Championship 4 and NASCAR hitting them with that swift hammer of justice.

But that’s not all, as the edition also features names that the Lucky Dog has handpicked from our recent survey. So do keep an eye out!

📅 Weekend Schedule

Today, We’ll Uncover the Latest Stories From the NASCAR Universe:

⚖️ NASCAR’s Dispute With 23XI & FRM Reaches the Court

👎 Chevy’s ‘Block’ Party & TRD’s Tricks End Badly for All

🔄 Kevin Harvick Has an Idea to ‘Overhaul’ Playoffs

🏆 You All Have Voted for Your Championship Favorite

🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

Beginning of the End? Or a New Horizon for 23XI?

It's game on! NASCAR's legal battle with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports just landed in court. On Monday, lawyers from both sides went head-to-head in a North Carolina federal courthouse.

Let us catch you up. NASCAR's charter system, launched in 2016, is basically a franchise model that guarantees spots and cash for teams that sign up. The catch? They can't sue NASCAR over antitrust issues. That contract expires December 31, with a shiny new 7-year deal (backed by $7.7 billion in media rights) kicking in for 2025.

But things started to go south when NASCAR's renewal proposal dropped this year. Teams felt like they were being strong-armed into signing it, with some owners allegedly coerced and others calling the terms ridiculously one-sided.

In light of this, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin's 23XI, along with Bob Jenkins' Front Row, decided to take NASCAR to court after rejecting the charter agreement. As a truce, their lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, asked for a temporary timeout – aka a "preliminary injunction." In a nutshell, the teams wanted to either: 1) Keep operating under the old charter rules while the lawsuit plays out, or 2) Ditch the "can't-sue-NASCAR" clause.

Kessler's argument? It's not about special treatment. It's about going back to the way things were until the case is resolved. Because if they're forced to operate without charters, they'll lose revenue and sponsors big time.

NASCAR's lawyer, Christopher Yates, however, shot back that 23XI and FRM want it both ways. He pointed out that big-name owners like Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske signed the new deal without a peep. Oh, and he threw some shade at MJ, saying he could've bought another NBA team instead of tangling with NASCAR. 

Now we're waiting on the verdict, expected Friday – amid NASCAR's championship weekend. The Lucky Dog’s keeping its fingers crossed that the judge makes a fair call, which can get us out of this legal drama. 

Continue Reading: Amidst Lawsuit Chaos, Tony Stewart’s Charters Potentially Have a Resolution

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁

🌪️ Cause for Controversy

Martinsville Gets Mired in Shady Tactics

Didn’t this past weekend look like the most egregious case of race-fixing ever? It sure looked that way. The Chevy drivers playing possum, Toyota drivers offering themselves up, and the radio chatter sounded like a scripted play.

For starters, Austin Dillon's in-car audio revealed that his #3 crew opted not to pass William Byron to protect their Chevy teammate's championship 4 spot. The same story was with Ross Chastain's #1 team. They formed a two-car blockade behind Byron, who was clinging to the one-point keeping him above the elimination line. 

Meanwhile, Christopher Bell, who was 5th in the standings, was trying to pass teammate Bubba Wallace to snag that final-four ticket. But as he got desperate with his own version of ‘Hail Melon’ move, NASCAR penalized Bell, handing Byron the Phoenix spot. And yeah, Wallace, was also in the wrong as he lifted on the last lap to let Bell by.

Looking at this, NASCAR dropped the hammer, fining Dillon, Chastain, and Wallace's teams $200,000 each and docking the drivers 50 points. Elton Sawyer also suspended the crew chief, the spotter, and an executive from all three teams for Phoenix. If you feel the punishment was harsh. Or maybe not too harsh. Check out Eric Estepp’s expert opinion on the matter.

But here's the kicker: the manufacturers got off scot-free. This is after radio evidence implicated Chevy in the scandal, as they asked Shane van Gisbergen to pay back Ryan Blaney for an earlier incident. But what can you do? NASCAR doesn't have rules to penalize its OEMs, probably because of the power they have over the sport.

To the Lucky Dog, this feels like the biggest race manipulation scandal since Spingate in 2013. And unlike Michael Waltrip Racing, these teams aren't getting more than a slap on the wrist. In case the incident is not fresh in your memory, here is a video recapping one of the strangest scandals in the sport’s recent past. 

And the irony? This cheating scandal propelled the #24 car into the playoffs... again. Talk about history repeating itself!

Continue Reading: Bubba Wallace Gets a New Spotter After NASCAR Penalty Ousts Freddie Kraft From Phoenix Race

📈 Trending News

Can Kevin Harvick’s ‘Golden Ticket’ Idea Save the Playoffs?

Sadly, the race manipulation we just talked about isn’t new to NASCAR. And Sunday’s scandalous affair reignited the calls for reform from some high-reaching places. Let's be honest: no diehard fan wants to see an actual battle for championship spots play out like this. Like you all, the Lucky Dog wishes to see drivers fighting for the positions, not plotting for them.

Denny Hamlin openly criticized the Playoff system on his podcast, pointing to the inherent flaws in three-race rounds that make manipulation possible and, in certain cases, unavoidable. The current format’s various ‘resets’ and planned ‘eliminations’ create high-stakes scenarios without a doubt. But these “cutoff race” issues, where alliances overshadow pure racing, have turned away more traditionalists than one could imagine.

This Playoff format, introduced twenty years ago, might’ve been the best way to drive viewership back then. But with mainstream TV viewership on a downtrend, there’s a growing call to either revert to a simpler 10-race post season, or consider a season-long points system like in F1 or IndyCar.

But in case NASCAR is not ready to give up the entire system that is currently in place, Kevin Harvick has an idea that could just be what they need to calm the storm. 

As per Harvick, the regular season champ should secure an automatic spot in the finale. The second place holder should be locked into Round of 8. And third place in the Round of 12... you get the idea. Suggesting this, ‘The Closer’ argued that the regular-season standouts deserve more. This system “gives you something in the regular season to not only race for first, but we’re racing for second, third, fourth to get championship points and an automatic berth into each round of the playoffs."

Now, that's classic NASCAR right there—fighting for every position, every week. Coming across this on social media, even Denny Hamlin gave that concept a thumbs-up. So, should the bigwigs add this idea to their offseason “look-into” list? With everything that’s been happening, they just as well might.

Continue Reading: Kevin Harvick Admits Being Part of Manufacturers’ ‘Race Manipulation’ Tactics Amid Ongoing Outrage

🙋‍♂️ Lucky Dog Counts Your Votes

A Preview to the 2024 Championship Battle, by You

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship is still a few days away, but our Lucky Dog on Track readers have spoken! Reigning champ, Ryan Blaney seems to be the fan favorite to win the title with 37.7% of all votes on our last poll. It looks like NASCAR Nation’s heart is pounding for the #12 driver, who could become the first back-to-back champion in 14 years, since Jimmie Johnson. “So much heart!” one fan cheered, while another diehard called him "the best d*rned driver since David Pearson."

Hot on his heels is William Byron, winning 27.5% of your votes. The #24 team fans are rooting loudly for Mr. Rick Hendrick’s pride, as Byron aims for his first Cup championship. After nearly missing the final 4 after that late-race drama in Martinsville, he knows how high the stakes are. And in case you hadn’t noticed, Byron’s the only Chevy representative fighting for the grand prize. Hence, the expectations are high!

Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick rounded out the last two spots with less than 20% votes each. But don’t you dare count them out! Logano, a two-time champion already, has the experience and the team to take home his third title this year. In the words of one of our passionate readers, “he is the steadiest here, and his crew chief and team are THE BEST at crunch time!” Fun fact: Logano leads all active drivers for race wins (3) at Phoenix Raceway, alongside Kyle Busch. 

Meanwhile, Reddick is heading to his first final 4 appearance, making a lot of new fans on the way. "Consistent all season. His last lap win a week ago showed he can run with and pass the best," gushed one #45 fan! If he wins his first-ever Bill France Cup, Reddick will end his year as the unlikely redeemer for 23XI Racing.

Safe to say, this grand finale is shaping up to be one for the record books, folks! As we have seen in NASCAR, it only takes about one good run for the unexpected to happen.

Update on Lucky Dog’s Recent Survey 🐾

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey! Your feedback is invaluable and helps us create content that you love.

Here are the 5 winners who also reached the Lucky Dog’s victory lane!

📰 More Stories to Check Out

1. Dale Jr Passes Harsh Judgement on Chevy’s Situation - Full Story

2. Martin Truex Jr Wishes to Crash Championship Parade - Full Story

3. Kyle Busch’s 2YO Daughter Declares Chase Elliot as “Her Boyfriend” - Full Story

4. "Buffoon": Kevin Harvick Criticizes Rookie's Reckless Antics - Full Story

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr Excites Fans with Racing Plans - Full Story

✨ Featured Fan Comment

Telling the Lucky Dog his pick from the final 4 drivers, Super Fan - Lee Miller, left one hilarious comment on our last newsletter.

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