Significant update emerges on 23XI, FRM 2025 racing ability amid NASCAR lawsuit

A significant update has emerged regarding whether 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will be able to go NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2025.

The future of both teams have been called into question over recent months, due to their unwillingness to sign the latest charter agreement, choosing to instead file a lawsuit against NASCAR. After being denied a preliminary injunction a few weeks ago, 23XI Racing and FRM received a bit of a win on Saturday morning.

“23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have reached an agreement with NASCAR to compete as ‘open’ teams during the 2025 season, even while the teams’ antitrust lawsuit continues,” Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reported.

23XI Racing’s Denny Hamlin cleared up any confusion in responding to Bianchi’s posted, as well: “For clarification sake. No agreement was reached,” Hamlin wrote. “They just removed the provision.”

Regardless of how it went down, one thing is for sure — 23XI Racing and FRM will now be able to go Cup Series racing in 2025. Despite their continued persistence that they would be able to race while figuring out their legal battle, it’s now official, and two exciting teams won’t be exiting the sport. That’s good news for NASCAR and their fanbase.

Continuing, FOX’s Bob Pockrass made sense of what the move means for both teams: “This means 23XI and Front Row will at least be open cars in 2025,” Pockrass added. “Without this move, the teams had two choices: 1) sign the open agreement to race while risking that the previous legal claims release clause would be considered valid, which would dismiss lawsuit. Or 2) not race.”

Both 23XI Racing and FRM will be entering exciting new eras in 2025. They’re likely to add another car to their stable, via acquiring a charter from Stewart-Haas Racing, and both teams are hoping to build on successful 2024 seasons.

In particular, 23XI Racing took a major step forward this past season. Tyler Reddick made it to the Championship 4, and while it didn’t particularly go his way at Phoenix Raceway this past weekend, the groundwork for future, sustained success has been laid.

Time will tell if NASCAR, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports come to a new agreement before the 2025 Daytona 500, but it’s evident both teams are committed to moving forward in the sport regardless, and it’ll be fascinating to see how they handle their new standing in the Cup Series when the time comes.