Bubba Wallace has cautioned 23XI Racing that he might explore opportunities with other teams if he isn’t guaranteed a chartered car for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports (FRM) are navigating an uncertain future in NASCAR due to their refusal to sign the governing body’s new charter agreement.
The two teams are currently locked in an antitrust legal battle with NASCAR. Without a court-granted preliminary injunction, they risk competing as “open teams” rather than as “charter teams,” which would diminish their competitive and financial standing.
To secure the injunction, 23XI Racing and FRM needed to prove their case across four key areas: merits of their argument, irreparable harm without the injunction, equitable considerations in their favor, and alignment with public interest. Initially, they failed to obtain the injunction, as the judge ruled they could not demonstrate irreparable harm in losing their charters.
However, they successfully appealed by adjusting their legal strategy. They sought permission to compete under the 2025 Charter Agreement while excluding its release clause. U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Bell ruled in their favor, partly due to Wallace’s warning that he might leave 23XI Racing if the charter issue wasn’t resolved. The judge considered Wallace’s concerns as evidence of imminent harm, granting the injunction. NASCAR has since filed an appeal.
This legal victory has allowed both teams to proceed with plans to acquire additional charters from the defunct Stewart-Haas Racing. 23XI Racing had already announced Riley Herbst as its third charter driver, while FRM secured Noah Gragson under similar terms.
