For months, testimony from owners, lawyers, and executives has painted a picture of tension that long predated the NASCAR charter lawsuit. Layer by layer, the trial has revealed how negotiations around the Next Gen car, IP control, and the 2025 charter agreement became increasingly strained. Owners testified about last-minute deadlines, lack of legal review windows, and what they described as “take it or leave it” conditions. But one member from 23XI wasn’t going to take it so easily.

On Wednesday in Charlotte, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell took the stand, and what came out was one of the trial’s most raw and personal moments. Questioned by Jeffrey Kessler, the lawyer for 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, O’Donnell walked back to a tense 2022 meeting with team leaders that set t

See Full Page