Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick carried 23XI Racing to fresh heights in the 2023 season with their playoff appearances. However, the bar will be set higher for the duo in 2024. Team co-owner Denny Hamlin recently made it clear on Actions Detrimental that the past accomplishments are too modest of a goal for the current caliber of the team.
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He said, “Two cars in the playoffs – that is way too modest for what we have going on there. My goal would be to have both cars in the final 8. That is my goal that continues to move us to that trajectory of having a car in the final 4 within 5 years.” Hamlin believes that with the new race shop and the other resources that his drivers have at their disposal, his demand is only fair.
Continuing to talk about “Airspeed”, the new race shop, Hamlin mentioned how it had upgraded tools, new engineering staff, and other future-proof resources. “They’ve got everything that they need to go out there and compete for race wins every single week,” he said and concluded, “Whatever the expectations are of a Joe Gibbs Racing car, I don’t understand why we would move our goals any lower than that.”
Hamlin provides his drivers with the key to reach his expectation
Looking at 23XI Racing’s progression graph since 2021 not a lot of arguments can be made against its growth potential. In only its third year of operation, the outfit reached the Cup Series playoffs and saw both its drivers finish top 12 in the standings. But how does it progress going ahead?
Hamlin explains the solution from the drivers’ point of view, “Okay, I am going to make the final 8 this year. Then I am gonna figure out where my weaknesses are and I am gonna work on that. And then get my way into the final 4.’ It’s a slow and steady progression for sure.”
Hamlin emphasized that 23XI Racing isn’t an “underdog” team anymore and that his drivers have to stop looking at it that way. Along with the Round of 8 demands, he has also asked that his drivers finish in the top 5 every week. With the Daytona 500 less than a week away, the 23XI Racing duo will soon have the chance to take their first step toward reaching the goal that has been set for them. They will be piloting their new 2024 Toyota Camry XSEs, as will Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing.
