This weekend, NASCAR races at Talladega Superspeedway, a location known for one of the earliest major disagreements between drivers and the top stock car series in the U.S.
In the first race at this Alabama track in 1969, the Professional Driver Association, led by Richard Petty, criticized the track as too dangerous and unprepared for racing. They wanted to delay the event, but NASCAR founder Bill France refused. This led to a boycott by 36 regular NASCAR drivers, but France ensured the race continued without them.
Now, 55 years later, the France family faces another challenge, this time from two teams: Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. These teams recently filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR regarding its charter system.
These two teams are the only ones among 15 that chose not to accept a last-minute agreement NASCAR presented just before the playoffs began. They filed their lawsuit on Wednesday while the playoffs continue, with six races left starting Sunday at Talladega.
“It’s obviously the biggest story in the sport currently, and probably one of the biggest stories in a long time,” said Kyle Larson, a driver for Hendrick Motorsports.
Instead of focusing on Sunday’s important race, where drivers are trying to secure their standings before next week’s elimination at Charlotte, the conversation revolves around the upcoming legal conflict.
Denny Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 champion and co-owner of 23XI Racing with Jordan, stated that the lawsuit won’t distract him from his goal of winning his first Cup Series championship. In fact, it has motivated him even more. He currently ranks fifth in the standings and has won twice at Talladega.
