Report: NASCAR Lined Up Buyers to Sell 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports Charters Soon

After 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports requested a preliminary injunction concerning their antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, the league has responded with an opposition, revealing plans to sell all six charters in October.

According to Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports, NASCAR's response, filed on Monday night, indicated that current teams are interested in purchasing the charters initially allocated to 23XI and FRM. NASCAR emphasized the necessity to commence the 30-day bidding process soon, as new participants would need to begin preparations by October 1 for the 2026 Cup Series season.

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In July, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports lost their charters when a federal judge dismissed their request for a temporary restraining order. U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Bell noted in his decision that the loss of the charters did not pose an immediate threat to the teams' drivers or sponsors.

NASCAR set the stage for its legal victory by implementing a new rule that guaranteed all six drivers from FRM and 23XI would still qualify for every remaining race on the Cup Series calendar.

The two teams recently submitted their latest injunction request, aiming to be re-chartered for the rest of the year. If approved, they would gain a larger portion of the prize money for race finishes and receive full payouts for playoff participation and top-16 placements in the NASCAR standings.

In their July filing, 23XI and FRM revealed they discovered through the legal process that NASCAR planned to start selling the six charters, which they argued put them at risk of losing their charters permanently and going out of business. Judge Bell noted in his decision that while this was a "fair and significant" concern, NASCAR had agreed not to sell the charters until the court could decide on the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction.

“This is a fair and significant fear; however, NASCAR has agreed that it ‘will not sell any charters before the court can rule on plaintiffs’

U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Bell in July in his ruling against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports

NASCAR's agreement was specifically related to the preliminary injunction filed earlier in the summer. However, the league's stated timeline for selling the charters would occur during the playoffs. 23XI driver Bubba Wallace has already secured a playoff spot, and Tyler Reddick is close to clinching one of the final spots. This situation might enable the team to argue that selling both charters could lead to losing sponsors or even losing Reddick and Wallace during the postseason. Reddick’s contract includes an opt-out clause if 23XI loses its charters.