Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace talk about working with Michael Jordan at 23XI Racing
USA TODAY Sports’ Josh Peter speaks with NASCAR drivers Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace about their partnership with Michael Jordan at 23XI Racing.
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Five years ago, Hall of Fame basketball icon Michael Jordan ran to the races. His 23XI Racing team, co-owned by Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, debuted at the 2021 Daytona 500.
Two-time Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick joins the team in 2022 in the No. 45 Toyota. He nailed that partnership in the biggest race of the year in 2026.
Reddick took the checkered flag at the Daytona 500, his first win as a driver and for Jordan’s 23XI Racing.
Jordan lined up in victory lane with Reddick and the rest of the crew, hoisting the trophy with the drivers.
The 2026 Daytona 500 marks 23XI Racing’s ninth NASCAR Cup Series victory.
It’s been a great start to the year for a team mired in an off-track legal dispute with NASCAR’s governing body. NASCAR, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports settled their antitrust lawsuit in December after the 2025 season.
With that in mind, Jordan and his team have started the 2026 Cup Series season in the best possible way.
