The latest in the NASCAR lawsuit has just dropped as Judge Kenneth Bell ruled on the motion to sanction the Plaintiffs. 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports were accused of making “false statements” by NASCAR’s legal team.
Judge Bell has decided to deny the motion to sanction 23XI and Front Row. This motion by NASCAR has been dismissed, and the court has fully explained its ruling.
“This is an important case that risks the fortunes of NASCAR and the Plaintiff race teams and significantly impacts all the other companies and individuals who depend on their success (as well as legions of stock car racing fans). The Court is therefore focused on the merits of the Parties’ antitrust claims. It would behoove all the Parties to do likewise.
“NASCAR’s motion to show cause does not productively move this case forward. Instead, it appears intended to play to the court of public opinion and perhaps color the Court’s perception of the opposing Parties and counsel (while at a minimum distracting them from their own efforts). However, the court of public opinion can be a fickle friend, and the Court was already well aware that the provenance of the submissions from drivers and sponsors regarding the effects of the Plaintiffs losing ‘charter’ status almost certainly involved the Plaintiffs.”
NASCAR made the motion late last week, taking the lawsuit in another direction. Judge Bell, by denying the motion, allows things to continue on as they were.
NASCAR lawsuit: Teams trying to get charter status back
Right now, both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are racing without charters. They had charter status taken from them by the U.S. Court of Appeals earlier this summer. They also lost the charters they had purchased from Stewart-Haas last year.
The latest motion in the NASCAR lawsuit accused teams of essentially falsifying emails and statements. When charter status was taken from the teams last year, they produced documentation from sponsors and driver representatives showing the harm that would occur. Lost in money, sponsors, goodwill in the sport, and potentially drivers.
This decision is a small win for 23XI and Front Row. Had this gone further, then the teams and their attorneys could have been in a bit of trouble. However, Judge Bell has denied the motion. He put it in pretty simple terms. It is expected of the teams to call on their sponsors and drivers to assist in litigation.
This NASCAR lawsuit is heading for a trial this December. Judge Bell once again tried to get the parties involved to come to a resolution.
“In sum, the Court denies the Motion to Show Cause (Doc. No. 192), and encourages the Parties to spend their time and energy on resolving this dispute either on the merits or through a negotiated agreement.”