23XI president touts “enthusiastic motorsports fans” as Kamui Kobayashi returns for a landmark race in Japan 

Le Mans 24 Hour Race - Practice & Qualifying - Source: Getty
Kamui Kobayashi of Japan and Toyota Gazoo Racing announced that he will make his NASCAR debut with 23XI Racing ahead of the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the Circuit de la Sarthe June 7, 2023 - Source: Getty

23XI Racing will have Kamui Kobayashi behind the wheel of its No. 67 Toyota for the Super Taikyu Series exhibition event at Fuji Speedway on November 16. So, on Thursday, November 13, the two-time FIA World Endurance Champion and former Formula 1 driver tried making a few practice laps around the Oyama-based racetrack.

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23XI Racing posted about the same on X (formerly known as Twitter). Soon, team president Steve Lauletta shared the post with his own comments. He wrote,

“Nice to see 23XI Racing in front of the enthusiastic motorsports fans in Japan and @kamui_kobayashi back behind the wheel of our 67 @ToyotaRacing car.”
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Besides Kobayashi, several drivers from the United States are also expected to take part in the landmark exhibition event. In fact, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was also seen making laps with Kobayashi on Thursday.

Johnson was driving the Garage 56 Chevy Camaro ZL1, which Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports owns. Per reports, Johnson will be joined by Legacy Motor Club driver John Hunter Nemechek at Fuji for the next few days.

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Nemechek will drive the No. 42 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE. Legacy Motor Club posted about the same on X and wrote,

“Racing somewhere different this week.”

Besides Kobayashi, Johnson, and Nemechek, other participants in the event include Oyu Toshiki, Kotaka Kazuto, and ARCA Menards Series regular Takuma Koga. Fast Track Racing will field three ARCA-style cars for Toshiki, Kazuto, and Koga.

This won't be the first time Kobayashi has driven a 23XI Racing car. As of today, he has made two NASCAR Cup Series starts for the team, once in 2023 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and again in 2024 at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

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District Judge Kenneth Bell rules in favor of 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports

As per the latest rulings by U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell, Rick Hendrick and Roger Penske will need to appear for depositions for the ongoing antitrust battle between NASCAR, 23XI Racing, and Front Row Motorsports.

Previously, NASCAR CEO Jim France requested Hendrick and Penske to testify for the upcoming trial, but the team owners didn’t want to disclose any financial information as witnesses. However, Judge Bell stated,

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“No company or individual will be accorded special treatment (which is effectively what movants request here). NASCAR has told Plaintiffs and now the Court, that Mr. Hendrick and Mr. Penske will be called as witnesses for NASCAR at trial.”
“Therefore, unless NASCAR irrevocably commits not to call these individuals as trial witnesses, then Plaintiffs have the right to promptly depose them before trial and cross-examine them at trial within the governing Federal Rules, without limitation,” he added.

For now, all eyes are on the upcoming trial scheduled for Monday, December 1 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua
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