23XI Racing has been in the Cup Series for just a few years. And it took them only a handful of years to get their drivers in the toughest battle of NASCAR; the playoffs. This feat is surely one to boast about, as other bigshot teams like Stewart-Haas Racing and Hendrick Motorsports weren’t able to pull it off this early into their establishment. Needless to say, the expectations from this Toyota-backed team are high looking into the 2024 season.
Advertisement
With their new race shop ‘Airspeed’, and their crew chiefs intact, Bubba Wallace and his teammate Tyler Reddick will have to live up to those expectations. Luckily, both drivers are known for their speed and raw talent; therefore, their driving should not be an issue. However, NASCAR is an unpredictable sport. So can they survive the unforeseeable? Only time will tell.
The #23 driver placed 10th in the final point standings, with five top 5 performances and ten top 10 finishes. But sadly, he remained winless throughout the past year. On the brighter side of things, Wallace is putting in efforts to improve certain aspects of his racing, especially his short-track package. However, last year he failed to record a single top 10 at Daytona, Talladega, or Atlanta. Hence, he will also need to level up his show on the superspeedways as two of them are on this year’s playoff schedule.
Reddick’s year was arguably better than that of his teammate. He made it to the round of 8 for the first time in his four-year stint in the NASCAR Cup Series. Unlike Wallace, Reddick won twice; one of which came in the playoff race at Kansas Speedway. Yet, his average finish wasn’t that promising, with an average of 15.7, not too far ahead of his teammate’s 15.9. Despite starting the season with a pair of top-3 performances, his run at Bristol, Texas, and Talladega got him nothing more than a 15th or worse finish. It is hence clear that 23XI Racing needs to be more consistent in bearing results.
23XI Racing could have plans for its #67 car in 2024
In 2023, distinguished stunt performer Travis Pastrana piloted the number 67 machine at the Daytona 500, while F1 sensation Kamui Kobayashi was seen driving the entry at the IMS road course. When veteran journalist Steven Taranto asked Toyota Racing Development’s president David Wilson about their potential plans for the #67 Camry this year, the latter teased the fans and said, “Stay tuned.”
Asked TRD president David Wilson about potential plans for the 23XI 67 car in 2024 or plans to run Kamui Kobayashi or another international driver in a few Cup races.
He teased that something might be in the works. "Stay tuned"
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) January 23, 2024
It seems like every team has a version of Trackhouse Racing’s “Project 91” planned out for themselves in the future. To get their names etched in both driver’s and manufacturer’s double for the sixth consecutive year, the tight schedule of Toyota Gazoo Racing and Kobayashi this year might not allow him to drive a 23XI car. Nevertheless, Pastrana could come back if sponsorships work out.
However, all of those are merely assumptions. Considering the success of international drivers in NASCAR’s street courses, perhaps the Chicago road race or maybe the race at COTA could be their best calls. Only time will tell how 23XI Racing’s international ventures work out for them.
