Groovy Hollow Recap
Newly released financial documents in the NASCAR antitrust lawsuit revealed that race teams pay nearly $150,000 annually for internet access at race tracks.
This week, the trial for the antitrust lawsuit brought against NASCAR by race teams 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports kicked off in North Carolina. But, prior to the trial’s start date, fans have reveled in the public information brought about by this lawsuit’s discovery period.
These public documents include internal messages from NASCAR and the teams, information about failed plans or internal operations, and financial information.
The publication of these unsealed documents has continued into this week’s trial, with a new financial document showing the hefty price race teams pay to compete in NASCAR.
The document, supplied by 23XI Racing, shows that the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan paid NASCAR nearly $1 million in assorted fees during the 2024 season.
This includes pre-season drug testing ($5,440), a NASCAR license ($299,905), entry fees ($278,401), and, alongside penalties, $200,000 (which perhaps includes Bubba Wallace’s $50,000 penalty for running into Alex Bowman in Chicago and the $100,000 team penalty from the infamous Martinsville playoff fiasco).
But perhaps most notable of all amongst NASCAR fans is the $168,357 for “Internet & Data Analytics.”
Though fans knew about some of these fees, the high price, specifically for internet access, needed for team communications and on-track data, has been staggering to some. With users like @CamberConrad on X responding, “They paid all that for internet and it still slow at the tracks.”
Though not all fans are viewing this as a problem for the teams.
For example, the $200,000 in fines is just over 20% of the total $994,569 that the teams paid NASCAR, something that some fans online are suggesting is a preventable expense that far outweighs the cost of internet access.
Nonetheless, the cost of internet service has stuck with the NASCAR fan base, with many wondering how or why the teams are paying this service fee.
The trial between 23XI/FRM and NASCAR is just three days in, and there is a strong likelihood that this document is just an inkling of the eye-catching financial information that could come out as the trial progresses.
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