Michael Jordan testifies as part of his antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR

NBA legend Michael Jordan appeared Friday in a North Carolina, where he testified that his goal was to "push NASCAR to improve" through the antitrust lawsuit filed against the popular U.S. racing series.

Jordan, co-owner of the 23XI Racing team in the NASCAR Cup Series, filed the lawsuit last year along with Front Row Motorsports after refusing to sign new membership contracts with the motorsports category.

During the hearing in a federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jordan noted that he has been a NASCAR fan since he was a child, but was compelled to sue to change a business model that he says treats teams and drivers unfairly.

"Someone had to step up and challenge the organization," the former basketballer told the jury. "They don't have partnerships; they have contractors," he said of NASCAR's relationship with its Cup Series teams.

"I want to push NASCAR to be better. When you talk about charters, when you talk about partnerships, that's the ideal," he added.

Anti-competitive practices

The lawsuit accuses NASCAR and its CEO, Jim France, of operating without transparency, restricting competition and controlling the sport in ways that unfairly benefit them to the detriment of team owners, drivers, sponsors, partners and fans.

The teams allege anti-competitive practices, including the acquisition of most of the elite race tracks, exclusive to NASCAR events and the imposition of exclusivity contracts on tracks sanctioned by the organization.

In addition, the lawsuit cites practices such as the acquisition of stock car competitor Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), the prohibition of teams from participating in other stock car races and the obligation to purchase parts only from NASCAR-selected suppliers.

Analysts warn that the lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for NASCAR; however, according to AFP, the atmosphere in the courtroom Friday was cordial and even relaxed at times.