Kevin Harvick weighs in on latest NASCAR lawsuit development in favor of 23XI, Front Row

Besides the action on the track this year, the big topic of discussion is going to be the NASCAR lawsuit. Even Kevin Harvick is interested. And he should be. This could change the way the sport does business. Or end up ruining 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ standing with the sanctioning body.

Kevin Harvick has been around for a lot of changes in the sport. As he watches the lawsuit unfold from afar, he is not a fan. But he knows how important it is to the sport.

On the return episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, the former driver and his cohorts talked about the lawsuit. 23XI and Front Row were granted an injunction allowing them to race as fully chartered teams. They also each bought a Stewart-Haas charter.

All of that can change in May. It depends on what the court of appeals has to say.

“Well, when I first started watching the whole thing take place, I was like, ‘Man, NASCAR is kicking butt this is not going to be very good for the teams.’ And then the judge switched and all of a sudden everything swung towards the teams and Front Row and 23XI and their side of the lawsuit,” Harvick said. “So, I’m happy that the charters and the sale for SHR went through. I’m happy that they were able to get the charters theoretically in the right teams and get them situated to be able to start the season.

“It would have been so confusing to start the season with those cars without charters and they would probably have one car with charters if they got the SHR thing. It would have been just a mess. I still, I don’t like that we’re talking about a lawsuit, but we have to cover the news and it’s part of the sport. I think as you look at it from a team standpoint, I think now it’s just there and it’s part of what’s happening with the preseason and the season, I don’t think it’s going to be over with any time soon.”

NASCAR wants this lawsuit to be over with. 23XI Racing and Front Row appear ready to go to trial. There is a lot that will go on behind the scenes between now and a December 1, 2025 trial date, as Kevin Harvick noted.

The preliminary injunction gave the teams a big win. So, for now, they appear to be in control. As we saw when the judge in the district court changed, an appeals court can rule differently. Judges are not robots and do not all interpret the law in the same way.

While the lawsuit is going well for the teams currently, that appeals court date in May can change everything. The teams could lose their charters midseason. That would be bad for a number of reasons. Kevin Harvick is right, this lawsuit is a big deal.