23XI and Front Row Motorsports’ new off-the-track partnership is a new one for NASCAR. The two teams, which have different backgrounds and manufacturers, teamed up to sue NASCAR for violating U.S. antitrust Laws. While it seems like the teams are facing an uphill battle, their lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, is used to this kind of pressure.
Kessler is a long-tenured veteran of the courtroom with many sports antitrust cases similar to this one under his belt.
Many publications and peers of the Columbia Law School alumnus hold Kessler in high regard for his work in the business side of sports. His past work includes supporting and developing organizations such as the NHL Players Association, NFLPA, MLBPA, and NBAPA.
These organizations focus on supporting the athletes who play the sports we all know and love. Kesslers’ victories have helped athletes earn valuable and occasionally overlooked workers’ rights. Taking on some of the world’s most formidable and well-backed foes, like the NFL and NBA, makes Kessler the right fit to take on NASCAR.
Despite Kessler’s fascinating history, some of his recent victories are his most notable. Recently, Kessler helped the United States Women’s National Soccer Team earn an equal-pay settlement with U.S. Soccer. However, his most prominent work is with current and former Division One NCAA athletes. Kessler is a key figure in the development of Name Image Likness in 2022 and a major antitrust settlement between athletes and the NCAA earlier this year.
Earlier this season, NASCAR teams hired Kessler as an advisor in the then-ongoing NASCAR Charter Agreement Negotiations. While the 13 teams that signed the agreement cannot join 23XI and FRM on the new suit. Kessler is sticking around for the two teams to, rather than advise, take on NASCAR.
Kessler stood bold in a press conference today with the media. He was not overly confident but rather prepared and ready to take on NASCAR and the France family as a whole.
Kessler is not attacking the sport but rather the family that has called the shots for 76 years. The Frances have, in their time, had their doubters and competition while holding strong. However, Kessler is swinging for the fences.
In his press conference today, Kessler said:
“There has never been a case that I have found that is as egregiously anti-competitive as this one. Here we have a sport where one family has basically used its power to create an absolute monopoly for the benefit of that family as opposed to being for the benefit of the teams, the drivers, the sponsors, the broadcasters, and the fans.” — Jeffrey Kessler, Co-Executive Chairman of Winston & Strawn LLP
Like always, Kessler looks to be bringing his “A” game, something he has used time and time again to win in the courtroom. However, NASCAR won’t go down easy; they have had challenges before, and they will be just as prepared as the two teams they face.
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On February 17, Ubisoft released a trailer that confirmed that NASCAR would be included in The Crew Motorfest’s next season update. Details were limited at the time, but in a press release issued today, Ubisoft revealed the full details of the update ahead of its March 4 launch.
Ubisoft says drafting will affect car speed and help save fuel, implying that drafting will be a huge factor in the game, at least with these cars. You can check out this and much more on Ubisoft’s official post linked below
Earlier this Tuesday, the official The Crew Motorfest account clarified confusion around the NASCAR bundles. The Crew Credit (CC) bundles only include cosmetic team liveries, not additional cars. The 3 base Next Gen cars (Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Toyota Camry XSE, and Chevrolet ZL1) are part of the free Season 9 update and can be purchased separately.
Mitch Rasmussen, NASCAR’s Senior Director of Interactive, said in the press release:
We’re excited to bring our iconic brand to life in The Crew Motorfest. This collaboration represents another important step in our strategy to bring NASCAR into the digital spaces and places where next generation fans spend their time, giving players new ways to interact with the culture and communities they love.
The content arrives as part of Year 3 Season 9 and is officially licensed by NASCAR. You can watch the first trailer and learn more in the article linked below
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Four road courses on the schedule, and somehow that’s enough to spark one of the biggest debates in the garage. After recent comments from Brad Keselowski questioning the business value of road racing, the conversation has picked up serious steam. Is NASCAR leaning too far into it, or is the current balance about right?
There are valid points on both sides, from sponsorship realities to fan traditions to competitive diversity. Some tracks have gained traction. Others have struggled. The question isn’t just whether road courses belong, but how many make sense within a 36-race season. It’s less about extremes and more about direction. And with future schedule changes always looming, this debate probably isn’t settled anytime soon.
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Corey Day’s run-in with Connor Zilisch at Circuit of the Americas became one of the most discussed incidents from Saturday’s race, even drawing a response from Denny Hamlin as well, who this week talked about his support for Zilisch.
During the race, Zilisch dealt with brake trouble on his No. 1 Chevrolet but worked his way forward from the rear of the field, advancing from P29 to P4 in the closing laps. With five laps remaining, he engaged in a battle with Hendrick Motorsports driver Corey Day as they exited Turn 2, holding the outside line. But as they contested the position, Day moved up behind him, contact occurred, and Zilisch spun off course to finish the race in P21.
After the contact, frustrated, Connor Zilisch initially referred to Day as an “absolute hack” on his radio, describing the clash as part of the latter’s racing pattern. But the JR Motorsports driver later tempered his comments, simply saying he expects an apology from the young Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Given that Zilisch declined to escalate the situation, on the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin credited him for calmly managing his response after the race, saying,
“Zillich was smart about this. He in his interview, he’s like, “I looked over at him thinking, come on over here. Come apologize.” And he said he just looked at him with a stare like, I don’t know what it is with these guys. Why, Why can’t they… youth?”
However, he questioned Day’s failure to issue an immediate apology. In fact, he said he was “floored” by Corey Day’s reaction, which involved staring at a frustrated Zilisch rather than apologizing.
The No. 11 JGR driver also raised questions about how Hendrick Motorsports evaluates developing drivers. Organizations invest with the expectation of returns measured in wins and titles, but when a driver continues to make visible mistakes, fans and especially other drivers will start to scrutinize. Hamlin pointed to the balance between development and production, asking how long it would hold.
The COTA incident was not the first time Day’s racing antics were questioned. Last week, during the Atlanta race, Day was involved in a multi-car crash on lap five after attempting a three-wide move that resulted in contact with Ryan Sieg. The move triggered a chain reaction that collected several cars.
Sieg responded over team radio, questioning both the decision and Day’s presence in the series.
Hamlin argued that drivers are allowed to make mistakes as part of growth. At teams with front-running equipment and title ambitions, time frames are shorter. But he questioned whether Day faces a deadline by season’s end or whether the assessment extends into the following year.
In Day’s case, results have not offset the incidents that have drawn attention. Hamlin referenced Kyle Larson as an example, noting that aggressive driving can lead to contact as well as wins.
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