Denny Hamlin testifies: Signing NASCAR charter like 'death certificate' to teams

Veteran driver and team co-owner Denny Hamlin declared NASCAR's charter proposal is akin to a death certificate in explosive comments on the second day of the racing league's antitrust trial Tuesday in Charlotte.

Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner who co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan, returned to the stand after being called as the first witness when the hearing opened Monday.

23XI and another team, Front Row Motorsports, have maintained that NASCAR uses anti-competitive strategies to bully racing teams into compliance.

Front Row owner Bob Jenkins and 23XI declined to sign on for renewal of the charters this year, while the other 13 chartered Cup teams opted in. The charter system was implemented in 2016 by NASCAR, which granted the request of several Cup Series teams.

"I didn't sign because I knew this was my death certificate for the future," Hamlin said.

Later asked if he felt he made the right decision, Hamlin answered, "I think it was the only decision."

Hamlin concluded direct examination and engaged in cross-examination from NASCAR's outside counsel Lawrence E. Buterman, who tried to draw a comparison to a contract that driver Riley Herbst signed with 23XI that wouldn't allow him to drive for other teams.

"We aren't a monopoly. You are," Hamlin said, one of several times he used the phrase. "I believe it's different when you have options and drivers have options of what teams they can race for."

Hamlin also maintained that he sounds more positive about NASCAR as a league when making podcast appearances because he could face retribution otherwise.

"You can take all my things out of context and paint a picture that everything is fine," Hamlin said. "The reality is, (being) negative affects me in (technical inspection), getting called to the hauler, NASCAR not liking what I said."

Jordan was present in the courtroom and has yet to testify. The trial is expected to last two weeks.

--Field Level Media