When Tyler Reddick took 23XI Racing to its first Daytona 500 win, Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan were grinning from ear to ear right alongside the No. 45 driver. MJ was right there in Victory Lane, soaking it in with the crew as if he had strapped in himself. Because he built his name in the NBA, many assume he just signs the checks and stays out of the weeds. But that reading could not be anymore wrong.
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Hamlin has spoken before about how hands-on MJ is in team meetings. Long before putting money into 23XI Racing, MJ was a regular at tracks, drawn to the sport. Hamlin once shared that if MJ did not like the tone in a meeting, he would not mince words.
He would call out how title teams talk, how winning rooms sound, and how blame-shifting does not move the needle. He pushes for sharper communication and for everyone to row in the same direction. And recently, even part-time driver Corey Heim backed that up ahead of his Daytona 500 start. He said, “Yeah, he’s (Michael Jordan, team co-owner) a lot more involved than most people think.”
“After pretty much every Truck win last year, he reached out to me with congratulations, and every time I ran good, bad, or indifferent in a Cup car, he’d reach out and share some words. I always thought that was motivating to have an owner, but also an owner that’s very involved and motivated.”
“Think everyone knows he’s probably a busy guy, but seems like he always makes time to pay attention and stay in the loop with the 23XI side of things. Him and Denny (Hamlin) have been just awesome so far. Didn’t know what I was expecting getting into it, but definitely a lot of support,” he continued.
After the Daytona win, Hamlin again pulled back the curtain on MJ’s role. He noted that having the NBA icon tied to NASCAR carries weight in itself, given the reach of his name. But beyond the spotlight, Hamlin said MJ loves the sport and shows up more than people realize. In fact, at times, he is in the garage without much fanfare. He attends more races than many would guess and stays plugged into the 23XI camp.
Former crew chief and Fox analyst Larry McReynolds had also echoed that sentiment on NASCAR Daily Overtime in one of his episodes from 2024. He pointed out that sports have seen their share of celebrity owners who lend a name to a Cup team and then fade into the background.
Fans rarely see them, and crews feel their presence even less. MJ, on the contrary, rolls up his sleeves and stands in the trenches with the race team week in and week out, not just when the cameras are rolling.
