During last weekend’s Southern 500 Cup Series race, 23XI Racing investor Curtis Polk had a wierd sign on his back: “Please don’t ask me about my charter. I don’t want to discredit NASCAR and lose it.” Polk’s message was a jab at an anti-disparagement clause that might develop into a part of the brand new deal.
“Yeah, that’s a threat,” Hamlin said when asked in regards to the potential clause. “That’s if you’re talking negatively. If they don’t like what you’re saying, yeah, they try to reserve the right.”
Many details of NASCAR’s ownership proposal remain under wraps, however it’s clear NASCAR and its teams are struggling to succeed in an agreement on a brand new charter contract for 2025. Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23Xi Racing, has aggressively used his speaking engagement to develop into one of the outspoken voices opposing a few of NASCAR’s proposals.
On Saturday morning, racing finally got underway when 23XI Racing released a press release saying it had decided not to satisfy NASCAR’s deadline — and in doing so, declined to sign a brand new charter for the 2025 season that will align with the proposals.
23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick (right of trophy) celebrates winning the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season title with team owners Curtis Polk, Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan
Photo: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Images
The tension has been constructing for a while, and was especially evident last weekend when 23XI driver Tyler Reddick won the regular-season title at Darlington. No one from NASCAR management attended the trophy ceremony. “You know, I’m certainly very disappointed that no one from NASCAR is presenting Tyler with a trophy,” Hamlin said. “It was a little disappointing.”
It led to one among the Cup Series’ most outstanding teams — and most outspoken drivers, Hamlin — publicly difficult the game’s leadership. But Hamlin and Team 23XI’s rejection of the charter was essentially the most vocal protest yet. And it set a deep line that other team owners were reluctant to cross.
November 23 Statement and the Line within the Sand
In response to the team's refusal to sign its charter based on NASCAR's imposed timeline, 23XI Racing released a press release explaining its position.
“23XI decided not to satisfy NASCAR's deadline last night to sign two-car charter agreements for 2025-2031. 23XI's position, as stated in its letter to NASCAR, is that we didn’t have the chance to fairly negotiate a brand new charter agreement. We have notified NASCAR of the problems that have to be addressed, in writing, by that deadline.
“We are interested in engaging in constructive discussions with NASCAR to resolve these issues and move forward in a way that leads to a fair resolution while strengthening the sport we all love. At 23XI Racing, we remain committed to competing at the highest level while remaining true to our belief that NASCAR should be governed by fair and equitable practices.”
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, FedEx Ultimate Toyota Camry Fan Contest, Coach Joe Gibbs
Photo: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Images
It’s clear that the Michael Jordan-Hamlin co-owned team believes it has enough influence to push for change. But these are uncharted waters for NASCAR, and it’s unclear where 23XI or NASCAR management will go from here. The two sides seem like far apart, judging by interviews Wednesday during media day, during which Hamlin indicated that “they’re still going in the wrong direction in the negotiations.”
Denny Hamlin and the “one-sided” deal
“There are probably some teams that would just gladly take any offer they can get, but there are also some that have business sense and think it’s unwise,” Hamlin added.
Hamlin believes management sees him as only a “thorn in their side.” He offered a bit more detail in regards to the latest deal, calling it “one-sided” in favor of the sanctioning body. “I was making good money doing that as a NASCAR driver, and I decided to invest back into the France family and NASCAR,” Hamlin said. “And they haven’t shown me an opportunity yet where I could get that back.”
FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass reported that Front Row Motorsports also declined to sign the contract, but there was no official statement from FRM yet.
Speaking more about what this latest deal could mean for NASCAR's power structure, Hamlin added, “Who's the jury, the judge and the executioner? It sounds like it's the same person. It never was the same person, but now they're proposing it is.”
