The judge in 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports' lawsuit against NASCAR has ordered that each day's trial hearings will be extended.
Judge Kenneth Bell took both sides to task on Friday for how long the trial – initially slated for two weeks in court – was already looking likely to last, with 23XI and FRM attorney Jeffrey Kessler admitting he didn't expect his side to wrap up until the middle of the second week in court.
In court on Monday, Judge Bell extended each coming day by an hour, in an attempt to keep proceedings moving along at a permissible pace.
Much of Monday's testimony came from an economist called by the teams to explain why the evidence the court had heard so far amounted to anticompetitive practice.
23XI and FRM economist: Car restriction is anti-competitive
The Athletic's Jeff Gluck, present for the trial, said simply at the end of the day: "Court is over for the day. If you ever dreamed of being transported back to a college class where you just stared at the clock and couldn’t believe how slowly it was moving, this was a perfect day for you. (Otherwise nothing much happened.)"
The economist in question was Dr. Edward Snyder, former dean of business schools at Yale University, the University of Chicago and the University of Virginia.
Of teams not being able to use the Next-Gen car in non-NASCAR events despite buying the cars, he said: “To me, as an economist, this situation bothers me. Team owners are building the car. They technically own the car, and it’s their most important piece of equipment. But they cannot use it outside of NASCAR. That’s anti-competitive.”
The trial continues, and will likely do so into next week despite Judge Bell's best efforts and continued protests.
