It’s getting really old with the 23XI Racing team. Week after week, the pair of Toyotas run incredibly well and yet their day ends with a disappointing finish. And nine out of ten times, it’s the same pit road issues. But why are things not changing? Everyone knows how serious Denny Hamlin is about the team that he co-owns with Michael Jordan. So where are they falling short?
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According to the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, it all comes down to the time that they get to practice their pit lane errands. The 23XI team hasn’t shifted to their new facility yet, and that’s not happening before, probably in June. Therefore, being an ally of JGR, Hamlin’s team currently practices inside the Joe Gibbs Racing facility in Huntersville, North Carolina. But there’s a problem with that.
“When we are at JGR we get limited time, we don’t get as much time as others because we’re not the house guys,” explained Hamlin.
“This is part of the grind of the new team blues and even in our fourth year, now our second year of having our own pit crew, it is just not easy. This thing is not easy and trust me, if we can go out and just grab the best pit crew…you just can’t. It’s not that easy,” he added.
Is Denny Hamlin planning a new addition to the 23XI lineup?
The Toyota team was founded in 2020 and the Toyota team has had Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick as its main full-time drivers since 2022. However, in 2024, the team is expected to run a third, but part-time entry with its #67 machine. Is the news true, though?
As reported by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s Danielle Trotta, Steve Laulleta, the 23XI Racing president, has confirmed the news. However, it will be just for two races. The first of those two races could be the NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on March 24. Now the biggest question is: who will drive the #67 car?
👀 2311 Prez Steve Lauletta telling me & @jeff_gluck On Track that 2311 will have an additional entry (3rd cup car) much like they did last year. Details to come very soon 🤩 @SiriusXMNASCAR
— Danielle Trotta (@DanielleTrotta) February 29, 2024
Well, the details are yet to be announced. But a little speculation doesn’t hurt, does it? American stunt performer and X-games gold medalist Travis Pastrana drove the #67 in last year’s Daytona 500, while Kamui Kobayashi drove the same car at the 2023 Indianapolis Road Course race. So will it be one of them? Or will it be someone else?
Perhaps we can only wait and watch.
