Day 4 NASCAR trial: Steve O’ Donnell reveals huge financial race losses of $61M in courtroom testimony 

While taking the stand during Thursday’s antitrust lawsuit trial, NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell revealed how much the sport had lost as it brought the Cup Series to new tracks like the Chicago Street Circuit and the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. It was all reported by NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi on X (formerly Twitter).

O’Donnell admitted that, although considered investments for the betterment of the sport, NASCAR has lost a total of $61 million in the past three years. Amazon, which happens to be NASCAR’s first fully direct-to-consumer media partner, said it would have never engaged with the sport if it weren’t for the annual Chicago street race.

Here is what Bianchi wrote about NASCAR’s pecuniary damage, as mentioned by O’Donnell:

“NASCAR lost $55 million over three years on the Chicago Street Course race. But he says Amazon would not have signed on as media rights partner without that race. NASCAR (also) lost $6 million on the Mexico City race.”

With the end of the fourth day of the NASCAR trial, both parties tried their best to get the most out of it, but interestingly, during the 4 hours and 45 minutes that he spent on the witness stand, not once did O’Donnell deny that NASCAR is a monopoly.

“NASCAR plainly exercises monopsony power in the relevant market under the governing analysis,” Judge Kenneth D. Bell wrote in a previous statement. “Not only has it operated the only premier stock car racing series in the United States for many years, the barriers for others to enter the market (availability of large racing tracks, highly qualified racing car teams, etc.) are obvious.”

Acknowledging that 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports would most likely go out of business if they lost a sponsor, O’Donnell said that the teams could compete as open teams in 2026 and still receive the guaranteed purse. However, the amount would still be a lot less than what the chartered teams usually receive.

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23XI Racing owner reveals his NASCAR salary amid antitrust battle

Denny Hamlin, who competes for Joe Gibbs Racing and co-owns 23XI Racing, revealed his annual salary as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver. This happened on Monday, which was the first day of the ongoing 10-day-long NASCAR trial.

The same was reported by Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal. According to Stern, Hamlin confirmed that his salary at Joe Gibbs Racing was "around $14 million annually”.

Denny Hamlin is currently in his 21st full season in the NASCAR Cup Series. He wrapped up his 2025 season with six wins, 14 top fives, 18 top-10s, and led 1024 laps. Hamlin’s current contract with Joe Gibbs Racing will expire at the end of the 2027 season.

Next up for the Tampa-Florida native is the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Scheduled for February 1, 2026, the 200-lap race will be televised on FOX with live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.