Judge Orders Rick Hendrick & Roger Penske to Testify in High-Stakes NASCAR Antitrust Lawsuit

Charlotte, N.C. — NASCAR titan Rick Hendrick will have to take the witness stand after U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell ruled that both Hendrick and fellow team owner Roger Penske must sit for full, in-person depositions in the high-stakes antitrust lawsuit brought by Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR. The surprise decision, handed down late Tuesday, removes all guardrails the pair had requested to limit questioning about sensitive financial data. Judge Bell emphasized that “no company or individual will be accorded special treatment,” underscoring the case’s potential to reshape how NASCAR’s business model treats its 36 chartered teams. Why Hendrick matters: • Owner of Hendrick Motorsports, the record-setting organization with 308 Cup Series wins and 15 championships, Hendrick commands enormous influence in paddock politics. • His testimony could reveal unprecedented details about team revenues, sponsorship structures and how the controversial charter agreement was negotiated. • With NASCAR’s current media-rights package expiring in 2026, any ruling that redefines revenue sharing will reverberate through broadcasters, advertisers and the sport’s 80-million-strong fan base. At the heart of the dispute is NASCAR’s 2024 charter proposal, which Jordan’s 23XI and Bob Jenkins’ Front Row refused to sign. The teams argue the new terms slash guaranteed purse money, jeopardizing independent operations while favoring legacy giants such as Hendrick Motorsports. NASCAR counters that teams could race elsewhere, but Bell already ruled “premier stock-car racing” to be the relevant market, rejecting the idea that IndyCar or Formula 1 are realistic substitutes. What happens next: • Depositions must be completed before the December 1 trial start in Charlotte. • Legal analysts expect lawyers to probe Hendrick on whether dominant organizations gained leverage during charter renegotiations. • If damaging financial disclosures emerge, sponsors could rethink 2026 contracts, and smaller teams may find new ammunition in revenue-sharing talks. Industry reaction has been swift. Veteran driver Denny Hamlin—also co-owner of 23XI—tweeted that the ruling “levels the playing field.” Meanwhile, sources inside two rival Cup operations say they are “closely monitoring” Hendrick’s forthcoming testimony, fearing it could accelerate calls for a franchise-style payout model. Bottom line: Rick Hendrick’s deposition is no longer a behind-the-scenes legal footnote—it is set to become a public referendum on how stock-car racing’s biggest empire was built and whether NASCAR’s charter system unfairly entrenches powerhouse teams. With billions in future TV dollars and sponsorship deals on the line, every word Hendrick utters under oath now carries championship-level stakes for the entire sport.