Michael Jordan text messages exposed in legal fight with NASCAR

The legal battle between NASCAR and the two teams that filed a joint antitrust federal trial took a nasty turn in court on Thursday. The text messages from Nascar as well as the first automotive row and the 23Xi race team, including the legend of the NBA and co -owner Michael Jordan, because documents related to the discovery were revealed by the Associated Press.

Front Row and 23Xi brought an action by alleging monopolistic practices after the two teams refused to sign extension agreements on the charter agreement with the Stock Car and CEO and CEO Jim France in September, which led Nascar to assert that they plan to sell the two charters, who guarantee 36 charter teams in the field of 40 cars.

US District Judge Kenneth Bell said that the NASCAR charter system’s remuneration may be suspended in the event of regulation if a regulation was not concluded before the date of the December 1 trial.

“Everyone will be injured if this thing goes in a way,” said Bell on Thursday. “If one or the other of the games feels sure to win, they are wrong.”

Among the most explosive messages revealed on Thursday, there was Scott Prime, executive vice-president of Nascar and director of the strategy, writing to Nascar leaders: “We have all the leverage and the teams will almost sign the terms we put in front of them.”

In addition, the current Nascar commissioner, Steve Phelps, wrote that the leaders simply needed to “choose a date and (the teams) can sign or lose their charters. It is as simple as that”.

In response, Nascar said that the teams did not struggle financially, in particular by introducing messages from Jordan, saying that his team’s co-ownership is a hobby but that he can “can only play but so much golf”.

In addition, Jordan said: “I lost as much in a casino”, when I discuss the potential financial impacts of the situation.

Nascar has also taken measures to close the potential so that the teams come together and introduce a new competing race league by concluding an agreement with the owner of the Speedway Motorsports track which prevents their track track from hosting competing events, as well as to prevent next generation cars from running in another series, with $ 20 million inventory so that each team The Nascar Cup Series.

Judge Bell asked why, rather than moving to sell first row and the 23Xi charters, the race league did not sell the four charters they have retained for expansion purposes. Bell, however, did not decide to grant the teams their request by rejecting the transfer of NASCAR from a charter to an anonymous part.

“When we started this whole process, I always said that I wanted to fight for the improvement of sport,” said Jordan from the steps of the courthouse on Thursday. “Even if they try to emphasize that we have earned money, we had a prosperous business, it is not the point. The fact is that the sport itself must change continuously for the best, for fans, as well as for teams – as well as Nascar, too, if they understand it.

“I can’t wait to get started,” added Jordan. “If I have to fight until the end for improving sport, I will do it.”