23XI Racing has made a significant jump from where it was in 2022, contending for top 5s and top 10s regularly this year. But one area has affected both drivers of the team consistently – the pit crew department, something that snatched a potential win away from Tyler Reddick at Michigan. Even Denny Hamlin admitted on his podcast that Reddick had every right to be frustrated with his team.
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And according to former Hendrick Motorsports Crew Chief Steve Letarte, this is something that could cause trouble for Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s team in the future.
The analyst spoke at length on Motorsports on NBC about the issues currently plaguing 23XI Racing and warned that if they were not addressed in a definitive manner soon, it could really be an uphill battle.
Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin need to sit down and address this issue
Speaking to Nate Ryan of NBC Sports, Letarte said, “This isn’t a week or a month fix, you know, fixing it for next week’s a waste of time. You need to find out what happened here and then coach to the specific situation to try to remedy that issue, but that’s not the fix for 23XI. When you drive down the 77, they have this brand new building going up. It’s beautiful, it’s got the angled windows and all the Michael Jordan touches, and the Denny Hamlin touch.”
“You know Denny’s been very critical about his own pit crew at times. He’s been critical about Joe Gibbs’ pit department at times. From what I understand, 23XI is moving away from Joe Gibbs Racing at some point in the Pit Department. That would be a higher priority.”
After the race, Tyler Reddick was visibly frustrated on the radio, unleashing on his team as another missed opportunity went begging two weeks in a row. And with the playoffs knocking on the door, the #23 and #45 would certainly hope the team addresses these issues, especially considering how the other two-driver team, RFK Racing, has been on the rise.
The HMS veteran also mentioned how a pit crew issue led to Bubba Wallace missing out on a top 10 despite an increasingly promising position during the Richmond weekend, outlining how the problem has not been just this week but affected the drivers throughout the season.
What should Jordan and Hamlin focus on for next season?
If 23XI’s ambitions are not just to be a mid-table team fighting to qualify for the playoffs, but to regularly fight for wins, the team needs to make sure they focus on the right areas. Letarte added, “If I’m Dave Rogers and Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s group, and I look at where I’m spending my money heading into next year. Look they got the drivers, they got the partners, they got the speed, they got Toyota. Toyota loves them, they love Toyota.”
“This is a systemic issue for 23XI. As great as they have done building a race wing and organization, I would say their lack of wins falls more on pit road than anywhere else. They have to control it, they have to take it in, they have to change the culture, the mindset, the coaching.”
As a relatively new team, 23XI has indeed come a long way. The next big jump has to be fighting for the championship, and for that, Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan need to take some crucial decisions and adjustments.
