Front Row Owner Testifies in Court as NASCAR Executive Faces Tough Interrogation
The angst inside the courtroom shifted palpably on the third day of the antitrust trial between NASCAR and the plaintiffs, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. While legal battles often get bogged down in dry contract law, Wednesday’s proceedings pulled back the curtain on the raw, human frustration simmering behind the garage doors and, surprisingly, within the NASCAR executive offices themselves.
The day was defined by two distinct narratives: the corporate maneuvering revealed during the testimony of NASCAR executive Scott Prime, and the heartfelt, often defiant testimony of Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins.
Internal NASCAR Texts Reveal Conflict at the Top
Attorney Jeffrey Kessler, representing the teams, spent the morning grilling Scott Prime, NASCAR’s Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. The focus wasn’t just on the contracts, but on the intent behind them. Kessler painted a picture of a sanctioning body desperate to maintain control, labeling the “goodwill provision,” which restricts owners from competing in other series, as “anti-competitive will.”
However, the most damaging evidence came not from what Prime said on the stand, but what he and his colleagues typed in private.Kessler displayed a text thread from May 2024 involving Prime, NASCAR President Steve Phelps, and Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell. The exchange occurred after a meeting with the France family regarding charter negotiations. The texts revealed a leadership team that knew their offer to the teams was problematic but felt powerless against the directives of CEO Jim France.
Weighing In on Steve O’Donnell’s Take
O’Donnell’s text was particularly scathing, describing the company’s strategy as getting close to a “comfortable 1996… dictatorship.” Phelps weighed in on the “Amanda Chart,” a document tracking team requests, noting that the teams had secured “zero wins.” The candid exchange shattered the image of a unified corporate front, showing that even NASCAR’s high-ranking officials feared they were driving the sport backward.
Prime also faced heat regarding NASCAR’s “contingency plans.” Emails surfaced showing that if teams refused to sign, NASCAR considered drastic measures, including “Project Gold Codes,” a plan to field their own cars, or a “musical chairs” scenario in which they would reduce the number of charters to 32, forcing teams to scramble for a spot. Kessler argued these weren’t business strategies, but threats designed to force submission.
The Financial Struggles of Front Row Motorsports
While Prime’s testimony dealt with corporate strategy, Bob Jenkins brought the conversation back to the harsh reality of the race shop. Jenkins, the owner of Front Row Motorsports, took the stand not as a celebrity billionaire but as a businessman bleeding money for the love of the sport. Jenkins revealed that Front Row Motorsports operates at an annual loss of $6.8 million.
He detailed how the introduction of the Next Gen car caused his parts budget at Front Row to balloon from $1.8 million to $4.7 million. When asked why he continues to pour millions into a losing venture, Jenkins gave a simple, emotional answer: “I just believe in it… There are 150 employees at that race shop who believe in me to make this work.”
The defense attempted to poke holes in his testimony, suggesting Jenkins was hiding profits or underpaying drivers while asking NASCAR for more money. When a NASCAR attorney compared the team’s expenses to other sports leagues, Jenkins delivered the line of the day.”A basketball doesn’t cost $350,000,” Jenkins retorted. “You don’t wreck a $350,000 basketball.”
The Take or Leave It Ultimatum
Perhaps the most gripping moment of Jenkins’ testimony was his recollection of September 6, the day the final charter agreement was sent. Jenkins was at dinner with his elderly parents, out of cell service range, unaware that the sport’s leadership had issued a “take it or leave it” ultimatum.
When he finally reconnected, his phone was flooded with frantic messages. He described a sense of betrayal and panic rippling through the owner community. He noted that even Joe Gibbs, a titan of the sport, felt he had “let Jenkins down” by signing the agreement out of necessity.
Jenkins described the deal as “insulting” and “backwards,” equating NASCAR’s governance to “taxation without representation.” For Front Row Motorsports, refusing to sign wasn’t just a business tactic, but more so a stand against a system Jenkins felt was fundamentally broken.
Final Thoughts
As the trial continues, the contrast between NASCAR’s internal “dictatorship” concerns and the financial bleeding of teams like Front Row Motorsports has set the stage for a defining moment in stock car racing history.
