Court denies NASCAR’s request to delay SHR charter transfer

NASCAR suffered another loss on Monday when U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth D. Bell denied a request to delay the series’ relocation. Stewart-Haas Racing Charter for Front Row Motorsports. The request was in response to last week’s ruling, when Judge Bell said 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports granted preliminary injunction that will allow them to keep their chartersWhile the trial is going on.

Earlier this year, FRM announced its intention to purchase the No. 10 charter from SHR and while it was expected that 23XI would also purchase one of the SHR charters, they have not yet done so. Trackhouse Racing, which signed a 2025 charter agreement, purchased a third free SHR charter. NASCAR must now approve the charter transfer to Front Row Motorsports. 23XI has not yet formally asked to buy the SHR charter like FRM, so they will have to formally ask for it through the courts before it is approved in a separate proposal, but this is unlikely to be an issue. Is the recent decision.

An illegal Catch-22?

In Monday’s decision, Judge Bell also criticized ‘Catch-22’ NASCAR’s release clause in 2025 charter agreement (which prevents teams from bringing antitrust claims against the game after signing). That part of the decision reads: “Plaintiffs (23XI/FRM), or any other team that wanted to challenge NASCAR’s conduct as an antitrust violation, were (according to Defendants) caught out in a classic ‘Catch-22′ Have – The team must accept the 2025 charter agreement, which includes a release that bars the plaintiffs’ antitrust claims, but if it does not sign the charter agreement it cannot bring the same antitrust claims. Because there is no charter.”

The court said the release was “likely to be found unlawful” and also noted that the indefinite approval of the SHR charter transfer to FRM was “based on Front Row’s reluctance to drop this lawsuit and release their antitrust claims. ”

The judge disagreed with NASCAR’s claim that they would suffer irreparable harm, while rebutting their claim that handing over the SHR charter would force them into long-term agreements with teams that go beyond the injunction, saying: “The Court’s has the equitable power to require the sale of the SHR transferred charter or take other action as part of final relief entered after trial.

23XI and FRM responded to the decision with the following statement: “We welcome Judge Bell’s decision today to deny NASCAR’s motion to stay, which would have allowed 23XI and Front Row Motorsports to remain as charter teams through the 2025 season. Today’s decision represents an important step forward in pursuing NASCAR and my clients’ case against them. We are confident in the strength of our case and will continue the fight for a more competitive and fair sport for everyone involved in the year ahead. Will keep.”

a test date for real antitrust case Has been scheduled, but is a year away in December 2025.