NASCAR has indefinitely suspended a member of Michael Jordan’s race team amid claims she used a golf cart to assault a 77-year-old man at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend.
The sanctioning body announced the punishment for Evanna Daneen Howell, who is a senior account manager for the Jordan co-owned 23XI Racing, in its weekly penalty report Wednesday for a ‘behavioral’ incident.
According to Cabarrus County court records, Howell, 35, was arrested Saturday and charged with assaulting Dennis Manchester at the track.
Incident details were not immediately available, but court records show Judge Matthew Black found probable cause that the defendant ‘unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did assault Dennis Manchester with golf cart used to assault the victim deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury.’
Howell was released on a $125,000 bond following her first appearance Tuesday, court records show. She has retained attorney Harold Cogdell Jr.
‘Ms. Howell and her family extend prayers for a full and speedy recovery to the individual injured,’ Cogdell Jr. said in a statement provided to The Daily Mail. ‘It is deeply disappointing that an unfortunate golf cart accident has resulted in a criminal charge. We look forward to our day in court.’
23XI Racing senior account manager Evanna Daneen Howell (pictured) has been suspended by NASCAR after her arrest for allegedly attacking a 77-year-old man with a golf cart
Jordan has co-owned 23XI Racing along with legendary driver Denny Hamlin since 2021
The Daily Mail has also approached 23XI Racing and NASCAR for comment.
Howell lives in Charlotte and has worked for 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by Jordan and Denny Hamlin, since 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Jordan, who was recently the face of a federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR over its revenue-sharing model, has spent close to six years as a team owner after acquiring a stake in 23XI Racing back in 2020.
The six-time NBA champion got a Daytona 500 ring for his 63rd birthday earlier this year after driver Tyler Reddick’s victory in the showpiece race.
Jordan recently told CBS’ Gayle King that he retreated from the NBA limelight and embraced NASCAR because he was tired of living up to the lofty expectations.
‘I wanted to get away from basketball in terms of what I represented in that arena… and how big I’ve gotten,’ he said. ‘And it was such a huge burden for me in that sport.’
Now a co-owner of NASCAR’s Cup Series champions, the former Charlotte Hornets owner said the rigors of stock car racing aren’t nearly as taxing as NBA ownership.
‘Here, the burden’s not quite the same,’ he said. ‘But it’s something that I think keeps me alive.
‘It’s a quieter life where I’m not really the show, even though as of late, you know, I’ve been in the forefront a lot more than I probably anticipated,’ Jordan said, giving a nod to his team’s success this season.
‘Here, the burden’s not quite the same,’ he added. ‘But it’s something that I think keeps me alive.’
