Bubba Wallace warned 23XI Racing that he may have to consider other teams if he doesn’t secure a chartered car for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are facing uncertain futures in NASCAR’s top series after declining to sign up to the new charter agreement set by the governing body.

The two teams are currently embroiled in an ongoing antitrust legal battle with NASCAR. Without a preliminary injunction granted by the court, they would be forced to compete as “open teams” rather than “charter teams.”

To win the legal battle, 23XI Racing and FRM had to demonstrate: success based on merits, potential for irreparable harm without the injunction, balance of equities in their favor, and that the injunction would serve public interest. Last month, both teams lost their initial motion for a preliminary injunction, with the judge ruling they failed to prove irreparable harm should they lose their NASCAR charters.

However, they managed to succeed in their appeal after altering their approach and requesting to compete under the 2025 Charter Agreement, excluding the release clause. U. S. District Court Judge Kenneth Bell also noted in his ruling that Wallace’s statement to 23XI Racing about potentially exploring other options if he didn’t have a chartered car constituted imminent harm to the team, thus granting the injunction, although NASCAR has launched an appeal.

The court document stated: “23XI’s contract with driver Riley Herbst similarly requires that Herbst be provided with a chartered car, as does Front Row’s contract with driver Noah Gragson. Other drivers have expressed similarly urgent concerns. Driver Bubba Wallace informed 23XI that he needs to know how it intends to compete ‘immediately’ so that he can explore seats with other teams.”

This legal victory has paved the way for 23XI Racing and FRM to proceed with their plans to purchase an additional charter each from the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing. 23XI Racing had already unveiled Riley Herbst as its third charter driver well before this recent courtroom win, while FRM had also secured Noah Gragson from SHR.

Bubba Wallace was a factor in 23XI Racing winning its injunction in lawsuit against NASCAR

Bubba Wallace was a factor in 23XI Racing winning its injunction in lawsuit against NASCAR ( 

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(Image: Getty))

The ruling reads: “The Court hereby enters a limited preliminary injunction only for the duration of the 2025 NASCAR Cup season as follows: defendants and their agents, servants, employees, attorneys, and all persons in active concert or participation with Defendants, must allow Plaintiffs to each enter two race cars in all NASCAR Cup races under the 2025 Charter Agreement terms applicable to all charter teams, with the exception that the ‘release’ language in Section 10.3 of the 2025 Charter Agreement shall not be enforceable to the extent that it would release or bar Plaintiffs’ claims in this action,”.

“Further, NASCAR is preliminarily enjoined from refusing to approve Plaintiffs’ purchases of two Stewart-Haas Racing, LLC charters, which Plaintiffs will be entitled to use in all 2025 NASCAR Cup races on the same terms as other charter teams, again with the exception of the application of the release language to Plantiffs’ claims in this action; and a Case Management schedule will be set by the Court which, in the absence of a voluntary resolution of this dispute among the Parties, provides for a trial on Plaintiffs’ claims to be concluded in advance of the beginning of the 2026 NASCAR race season.”