Denny Hamlin remains confident in the antitrust case brought by 23xi and leading row against Nascar

Kansas City, can. (AP)-Denny Hamlin said on Saturday that he remains “fairly confident” in the case brought by his 23xi races, owned by veteran driver and the retired NBA-big Michael Jordan, and front row motor sports against NASCAR, claims that antitrust violations claim. Hamlin, a day after a federal appeal panel from three judges indicated that it could reverse an order that allowed 23xi and the leading drive as chartered teams, even if their lawsuit against the stock car series plays in court. “You know, they tell me kind of what’s going on. I couldn’t hear it directly or anything, “Hamlin said after qualifying 14th for Sunday’s race on Kansas Speedway. “But we are generally quite confident in our case.” The teams filed the antitrust case against Nascar in the Western District North Carolina on October 2 with the argument that the series of teams bullied to sign charter agreements – essentially franchise transactions – making it difficult to compete financially. It was the only two holders of 15 teams holding in the charter that refused to sign the agreements in September. The most recent extension of the charter runs up to 2031, which corresponds to the current media rights agreement. The main advantage of them is perhaps that they guarantee 36 of the 40 places available in each Nascar race for teams they own. If you overturned the order, it would leave 23xi and presence as ‘open teams’, which meant they would have to qualify at each cup series. But there are only four open spots, and 23xi had four cars in Kansas this week and the front row had one. “You know, the judges didn’t make a kind of decision,” Hamlin said, “so until they do, then our status quo will stay.” Nascar lawyer Chris Yates argued that the order, which was granted by US district judge Kenneth Bell in December, forced the series to an unwanted relationship with reluctant partners, and that it harms other teams because they make less money. He also said that the teams should not have the benefits of the charter system to reverse. “There is no other place to compete,” Jeffrey Kessler, the lawyer representing 23xi and leading row, counteracted and pointed out that the reversal of the order would cause tremendous damage to the teams, which may include the loss of drivers and sponsors. “It will turn the devastation in the middle of the season,” Kessler said. There is a trial date for December, and Judge Steven Aares requested the sides to meet for mediation – previously ordered by a lower court – to resolve the dispute over the order. But that seems unlikely. “We’re not going to rewrite the charter,” Yates told the judges. ___ Associated Press author Mike Barber in Richmond, Virginia, contributed to this report. ___