23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick has opened up on his position in the team after it filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR for its alleged unfair monopolistic practices. Despite the ongoing legal battle, Reddick suggested it was business as usual for him, as he prepares for the action at Talladega this weekend.
The controversy ignited when 23XI co-founder Denny Hamlin accused NASCAR and its CEO, Jim France, for allegedly wielding the sport’s authority in an “unfair manner.” 23XI, alongside Front Row Motorsports, has initiated legal action by filing an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR in federal court in North Carolina.
The lawsuit originated when both teams declined to endorse NASCAR’s final charter proposal presented at Atlanta Motor Speedway last month. After two years of negotiations, a major point of contention remained – NASCAR’s refusal to establish permanent charters, ultimately leading to a legal dispute between the teams and the sport.
NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports have exclusive control over the tracks used in their series, effectively blocking any competing leagues from forming. Additionally, NASCAR owns the Next Gen car, forcing teams to purchase parts only from NASCAR-approved suppliers at set prices.
Reddick revealed that the team was updated about the situation so far. Speaking to Steven Taranto of CBS Sports, he said:
“I mean they let us know what’s going on and yeah, basically along the same lines as what you guys have heard from Curtis and the lawyers.
“So, yeah all good here.”
He added:
“No, I haven’t felt uncomfortable yet. I’ll let you know if that changes.”
In contrast, he revealed that he felt much more uneasy when he announced his departure from Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in 2022. He said:
“Well, that was uncomfortable. [leaving RCR]
“This, in my opinion thus far, has not been uncomfortable.”
Hamlin, who pushes for “positive” changes to the sport, said after having a conversation with his partner Michael Jordan, told the media during a press conference:
“But you know in the end it’s because you’re threatening you know, the status quo and you’re threatening people’s jobs and things like that. And I just hope that it’s not seen that way, just seeing that, you know this is certainly an opportunity for us to try to promote change in the sport that’s positive for everyone.
“That’s teams, drivers, fans, everyone. And so I feel like certainly on our end it’s actually been good for me because this, you know, this is not like we just decided one day, we woke up and this is going to happen. This has been on the plate for a while and certainly, from my standpoint it allows me actually more relief to focus on the 11 car and you know everything I’ve got to do there because it’s out it’s done and now there’s other people able to speak on it from the legality standpoint.”
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