Amidst the antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR filed by his team, 23XI Racing as well as Front Row Motorsports, Denny Hamlin remains optimistic about his chances of winning his first NASCAR Cup Championship in 2024.
Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan, is actively involved in an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and its leading family. The outcome of a hearing scheduled for November 4 will determine whether 23XI Racing can retain its charters amid ongoing litigation.
Despite these off-track challenges, Hamlin remains focused on the track. He has been quick to point out that he welcomes the challenge of winning the NASCAR Cup during this trying time, as quoted by Motorsport.com:
"Yeah, I would like to have that problem, truthfully [laughter].
"I always say if you have an issue, you cross that bridge when you get there, but it is a problem that I would love to have, but I would understand the responsibilities of a champion and certainly, knowing what I'm representing, I think I would be able to do a good job of separating the two."
In spite of setbacks, Hamlin secured an eighth-place finish in Las Vegas. Reflecting on the race, Hamlin commented:
"Not a clean day. That certainly sums it up. You'll have that. We did the best we could to get the best finish. I thought Chris [Gabehart, crew chief] did a great job to get some sort of finish. Once we lost the track position early, he was doing the best he could to try to get it back through strategy, and then it goes long there, and we fall to the back. Just part of it."
Hamlin continued:
"We are not running quite as strong as we were earlier in the year, and we are definitely not as clean, execution wise, as we were. We will just have to clean it up and go to Homestead and try to win it."
NASCAR recently filed a response to 23XI Racing and FRM's request for the ability to continue racing with charters in 2025 during the ongoing legal battle as well as giving a preliminary response to the lawsuit itself. The response states, as previously fully reported by Newsweek Sports:
"Plaintiffs' requested relief would cause real harm to NASCAR and the 32 Charter holders. Teams must budget for next season, and NASCAR needs to calculate and communicate to teams the prize money available for each race. NASCAR cannot simply reissue 2025 Charters without affecting Charter teams and other stakeholders, especially since Plaintiffs' refusal to sign the 2025 Charters increased prize amounts for Charter and open teams alike.
"Plaintiffs' Motion—an attempt to force NASCAR into a contract on Plaintiffs' preferred terms—falls far short of meeting the demanding standard required for obtaining a mandatory injunction. The Motion seeks to change the status quo, not maintain it; is about money, not irreparable harm; and fails to show a likelihood of success on the merits. This lawsuit is not about protecting competition; it's a bid by Plaintiffs to secure more money than they could through arm's-length negotiations. The Motion should be denied."
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