The two sides of an antitrust lawsuit have reached a settlement and brought a 14-month legal battle to its end. Now that the dust has mostly settled, where does NASCAR go from here?
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On the surface, it will be business as usual as all 36 chartered teams prepare for the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Feb. 1 and then the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 15. This includes 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, who saw their charters returned as part of this settlement with NASCAR.
Yet, some underlying situations require resolution as the incredibly short offseason continues. This includes the amendment to the 2025 Charter Agreement that all owners must sign. This kicks off the era of evergreen charters while providing some permanency to NASCAR's version of franchises.
This amendment also brings about some other changes to the Charter Agreement. Notably, teams will now have a percentage of the international TV revenue for the first time. They will also receive money from new business involving team intellectual property.
The teams will also see the return of the three strikes rule, albeit in altered form. This will now become the five strikes rule.
If NASCAR makes a change that could cost teams a significant amount of money, and they don't approve, they can issue a strike. If NASCAR receives five strikes, this will nullify the exclusivity clause in the Charter Agreement.
NASCAR only received one strike under the 2016 Charter Agreement. According to testimony during the trial, this stemmed from the Charlotte Roval race.
The one about #NASCourt.#nascar #23xi #MichaelJordan pic.twitter.com/1IXlezC8yp
— ComicsByBruno / BonecosDoBruno (@BrunoRafael_46) December 15, 2025
Rebuilding the goodwill
The trial only lasted eight days and a few hours, but it closed out what had been a contentious year-plus period in big-time auto racing. The two sides involved in this antitrust lawsuit met several times in hearings, some of which became contentious.
The Plaintiffs and Defendants also had multiple opportunities to quietly settle this case out of court. This did not happen despite an October push for a resolution, so they ultimately thrust this lawsuit further into the national spotlight.
Meanwhile, the rest of the industry looked on and hoped that this would end without the sport fracturing.
As is the case with legal battles, many problematic messages came to light through the discovery process. These included Denny Hamlin expressing disdain for the France family and multiple executives making unflattering comments about team owners and members of the negotiating committee.
The list of those affected includes Richard Childress, who saw sensitive RCR Enterprises financial information come to light while he testified. The longtime team owner also became the focus of damning texts from NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps, who referred to him as a "stupid redneck" and a "clown."
The NASCAR fans also caught some heat in comments from NASCAR executives. One person, later revealed to be EVP and Chief Strategy Officer Scott Prime, joked that many of the fans can't read while messaging Spire Motorsports owner Jeff Dickerson.
These unsealed messages, as well as other pivotal moments in this legal battle, damaged the reputation of NASCAR.
Not that the teams can fully be considered blameless. While many fans expressed support for 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports over the past 14 months, others took issue with this lawsuit.
This portion of the fanbase proclaimed that these two teams attempted to tear the sport down due to greed or other motivating factors. Some of its members just indicated they were over this story and its effect on the sport.
23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports essentially disagreed, stating multiple times that they brought this lawsuit to benefit all teams. Michael Jordan even testified that he believed that other owners were "brow beaten." He said it was up to him to challenge the "entity."
Regardless of intent, this prolonged legal battle split the fanbase. Now, it's up to the teams and NASCAR to work together to bring it back to full strength so they can try to grow the sport in 2026 and beyond. They can ill afford to have lingering effects of this legal battle impact the start of the 2026 season.
How does NASCAR move forward? Do Prime and Phelps return for 2026 and beyond, or do they become the "fall guys" as the sport moves on from this lawsuit? Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris made his opinion clear when he penned a letter to NASCAR defending Childress, but both Prime and Phelps play pivotal roles in guiding the sport.
"Many of our teammates have validly expressed concern that the commissioner's recently revealed contempt for Richard Childress makes it abundantly clear that he and his lieutenants are not capable of being fair and objective when it comes to impartially enforcing the rules and regulations that govern the sport, including the objective assessment of fines and penalties," Morris wrote on Dec. 10.
