re: 2025 NASCAR Season Thread - 2025-26 Offseason

Feels like Nascar line of questioning is setting them up for later.



Matt Weaver
@MattWeaverRA
LUNCH BREAK

Denny Hamlin said 'we are not a monopoly like you' a lot in response to NASCAR antitrust attorney Lawrence Buterman's line of cross examination.

Example: Buterman brought up the Riley Herbst contract that prevents their drivers from racing in other series, so how is that different than NASCAR's exclusivity provision?

"We aren't a monopoly. You are. ... I believe its different when you have options and drivers have options of what team to race for."

Buterman said drivers, like those employed by 23XI are paid a smaller percentage of revenue than what NASCAR pays of their revenue to teams.

Hamlin says the teams incurred upside cost, but again, 'we are not a monopoly like you' and drivers have options of where to take their services.

Buterman spent a considerable amount of time with Hamlin over 23XI's letter to NASCAR on Sept. 6 over why it wasn't signing the chartwr and what the team wanted:

Buterman said NASCAR made concessions and suggested that this doesn't square with the allegations made in the lawsuit that NASCAR is anticompetitive

Denny: "Those are my words but I see what you're trying to do with them. There's 1000 things in the charter and they gave us two or three concessions, sure' but none of the major asks.

Buterman says NASCAR gave teams a seven year agreement with a seven year option, because teams wanted permanence.

Hamlin says the second seven years was a flat number, and not a percentage of revenue.

"You force us to buy all the cars, the components ... we don't own any of that ... how ridiculous is that?"

Buterman doesn't like the house rental analogy because he says teams can sell their charters at increasing value, and house renters can't sell the property they are renting.

Denny: "its an analogy to make it easier for the jury to understand."

On the flat rate on the seven option years, Hamlin says 23XI wants to ride the highs and the lows with Jim France. He says it's dangerous for Jim to lock in charters for a second seven years at the flat rate.

Buterman says NASCAR offered to give 'no less than what teams make this seven year period.'

Denny, sarcastic: "Well, thank you, I appreciate that."

Buterman says NASCAR gave teams a team owner council

Denny: "that's what they do anytime they feel threatened. They create a committee to create the perception of collaboration, but there's no power, no vote, no veto.

23XI wanted teams to have mechanism to veto NASCAR making teams spend on things like international trips like Mexico.

"They could send us to Dubai."

Buterman asks if Denny was aware that NASCAR increased purse payouts for Mexico, and he said he wasn't aware of the amount of to what extent.

The topic of conversation turned to the Driver Ambassador Program, and Denny says that bugs him even though he stands to benefit as a driver.

Hamlin doesn't like the DAP because it forces teams to give up their best assets, the drivers, and have them promote NASCAR initiatives and sponsors, and not the teams

And Denny says the charter requires teams pay 40 percent of the DAP money 'to pay for NASCAR's marketing program.'

Buterman then asks Denny 'so you don't want drivers to get paid?'

Denny says teams pay drivers, not NASCAR.

Buterman says 'most drivers don't make 14 million a year.'

Denny: "Most drivers dont win the number of races I do."

Buterman also made a point to question Hamlin's long term commitment to NASCAR and team ownership

There was a text was DH asked MJ to find someone to buy him out. DH says he wanted to 23XI to succeed or fail on his merits and that he was given the control he wanted yet.

Denny says he met with MJ, Curtis and Gene Mason at The Grove and they 'figured it out.'

Denny says he was 'kicking and screaming' 'for attention' from his ownership group and that its normal business for owners to disagree. There's been other disagreements but they always figure it out.