One of the more interesting storylines in the 2023 NASCAR season was the frequent appearance of Michael Jordan at racetracks. Coinciding with his presence, 23XI Racing reached new heights and saw both its drivers make it into the postseason. With 2024’s maiden race soon approaching, his partner Denny Hamlin has now explained the reasons behind Jordan’s increased commitment.
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Conversing with WTVR’s Lane Casadonte, Hamlin expressed how the basketball superstar was always intrigued about racing even before the creation of 23XI Racing. He said, “13, 14 years I’ve been with him and a partnership in some way. And he was always quizzing me on questions about the race, even when he was not a team owner. So I knew that he had fandom towards the sport.”
With Jordan’s passion for racing in hindsight, Hamlin does not think that it is surprising to see him at the tracks often helping his team wherever possible. “Last year, showing up to like seven or eight of the playoff races was, I mean, that’s big for our team to know the drivers know who they’re driving for is right there on pit lane supporting them. That goes a long way,” he added.
Before the 2023 season, Jordan played an active role in the team’s marketing efforts. But last year saw him take part in team meetings and decisions as well, a transition hugely welcomed by Hamlin.
The conversation between Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan which created 23XI Racing
Despite Jordan’s prior interest in motorsports, it’d been Hamlin who first approached with the idea of forming a race team. Quite surprised by Jordan’s immediate onboarding, the driver admitted that his jaw hit the floor with the response. He said to Casadonte, “I remember exactly where I was. I was golfing, and I was on the ninth hole on my second shot.”
He continued, “I ended up leaving the ball in the fairway because I got so scatterbrained I just drove up to the green. My friends were like, ‘Hey, you didn’t hit your ball?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I got a text back saying, you know, ‘If you want a partner, let me know.'”
Thanks to the fluid partnership that came to be in the aftermath, 23XI Racing is the sport’s fastest-growing team today. One significant and positive change that has been implemented for 2024 is a new race shop called “Airspeed”. With all the added updates, Hamlin and Jordan will want to see their new Toyota cars in the postseason for the second consecutive year.
