Steve Phelps says NASCAR’s trying its ‘hardest’ to settle the antitrust lawsuit against 23XI and FRM

NASCAR president Steve Phelps recently appeared in an interview with AP News ahead of the Cup Series Championship 4 race. During the pre-race interaction, Phelps revealed how the governing body has been trying its "hardest" to settle the antitrust lawsuit against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.

The situation arose when both NASCAR Cup Series teams refused to sign the new charter agreement in October 2024. Following that, the teams filed an antitrust lawsuit against the stock car association and CEO Jim France, accusing them of creating a monopoly in the sport. Initially, the court allowed 23XI and FRM to compete as charter teams, but later this year, the teams lost their charters protection.

On Friday, NASCAR president Steve Phelps claimed that the governing body is trying its best to settle the lawsuit before it goes to trial next month. Phelps told the press (via AP News):

“We are trying our hardest. I am trying my hardest both as a fan as well as the commissioner of this sport that I’ve loved since I was 5 years old. While two out of the 15 teams may not share that view and seem set on an unfortunate court battle, I hope that we can all agree that our racing is as good as it has ever been and we care about how we serve our fans, especially as we look forward to capping off our season by celebrating new champions across all of our national series.”

Following the ongoing lawsuit, Steve Phelps and the sanctioning body had to share the 2025 charter agreement publicly. The charter system has been changed for the first time since it was introduced in 2016. Also, if the lawsuit is not settled, then it is set to go on trial on December 1, 2025.

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Steve Phelps got candid about NASCAR's global expansion

In September 2025, NASCAR president Steve Phelps shared his perspective on expanding stock car racing to a global audience. He claimed that the sport has unrealized potential in the international market.

The governing body hosted its first points-paying race outside of the United States of America for the first time in over six decades. The race was held at Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. Trackhouse Racing and Mexico-based driver Daniel Suarez won the Xfinity Series race at the track.

Following that, during an interaction with Axios Media Trends Live, Steve Phelps got candid about the sport's expansion to a global audience. He stated:

"Ours is about, really, again, a sensory experience, and one that I think globally is gonna work out really well for us. We believe that there are other opportunities to create a global racing series."

"What that looks like at this particular point. I'm unsure, but I know as a sport and as a brand and things Americana, it can work outside of our borders," Steve Phelps added.

The move worked in favor of the governing body, and they beat F1 and IndyCar Series viewership that weekend. However, the stock car racing association decided not to return to the track in the 2026 season. Instead, they are working on expanding tracks like the San Diego Road Course in Coronado.