NASCAR and Jim France under scrutiny despite 23XI and FRM settlement

NASCAR CEO Jim France and the stock car racing series remain under huge scrutiny despite having settled an antitrust lawsuit on Thursday.

NASCAR was sued by two of its teams in October 2024 after 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports accused the series of anticompetitive and monopolistic practices.

However, today, the 14-month legal saga is finally over, with NASCAR and the two teams having been able to reach a settlement on day nine of their trial in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The financial terms of the agreement are set to remain confidential. However, teams are set to be granted 'evergreen' charters, which is a big win for 23XI, FRM and the rest of the Cup Series field.

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Jim France issues statement

NASCAR CEO France issued the following statement in light of the agreement on Thursday.

"This outcome gives all parties the flexibility and confidence to continue delivering unforgettable racing moments for our fans, which has always been our highest priority since the sport was founded in 1948," France - who owns 54% of NASCAR - wrote.

"We worked closely with race teams to create the NASCAR charter system in 2016, and it has proven invaluable to their operations and to the quality of racing across the Cup Series.

"Today's agreement reaffirms our commitment to preserving and enhancing that value, ensuring our fans continue to enjoy the very best of stock car racing for generations to come.

"We are excited to return the collective focus of our sport, teams and racetracks toward an incredible 78th season that begins with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026."

Fans unconvinced

Whilst the pressure may be off in the courtroom room however, the court of public opinion well and truly remains on NASCAR's case.

Indeed, in a reply to a tweet of France's above statement, many fans either criticised the NASCAR CEO or questioned what was in this settlement today, for them.

For example, one X user wrote: "More crap from NASCAR PR spin doctors. If there was ANYTHING we learned from this trial, it is they only care for themselves. The rest of us are just marks for them to take advantage of."

Another X user added: "Evergreen charters doesn’t do s**t for the fans."

"Okay blablabla forever charters, what else?" was a similar sentiment echoed by another fan.

Lastly, another fan felt so strongly to call out most of the NASCAR leadership: "This settlement doesn’t change the fact that [Commissioner] Steve Phelps and [President] O'Donnell are crashing NASCAR to the ground. This does nothing for the fans. Denny Hamlin, you and everyone else's precious permanent charters will be worth nothing in a few years...."

It's clear NASCAR has a lot of work to do to rebuild trust among some of their fans, with the series having come in for a lot of criticism in 2025, whether it be with regard to the lawsuit, racing, or the playoffs.