23XI Racing

Origins: More Than Just a New Team

To appreciate 23XI Racing’s story, one must begin with its origins in late 2020. Announced as a partnership between Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, 23XI Racing was conceived as a fresh, innovative entrant into the NASCAR Cup Series – an environment deeply rooted in tradition, regional identity, and long-established teams. Jordan, whose competitive spirit and global brand had defined his basketball career, envisioned a racing organization that would challenge conventions and bring a new audience to NASCAR. Hamlin brought the racing credibility, operational insight, and technical knowledge essential to succeed in the top tier of stock-car competition.

The team debuted in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series, entering the season with high expectations and intense media attention thanks to the celebrity of its co-owner. Its first driver was Bubba Wallace, a talented young racer whose own background and personality broadened the narrative of diversity and inclusion in a sport historically dominated by other demographics. From the first race – the Daytona 500 – the organization signaled it was not merely a curiosity, but an ambitious competitor.

Wallace quickly rewarded that commitment. In 2021, driving the iconic No. 23 Toyota Camry, he won his first Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. This victory marked a breakthrough not just for Wallace, but for 23XI Racing as a whole: the team’s first triumph at the sport’s highest level, validating its competitive legitimacy within a year of its founding. The win was also symbolic – bringing together the legendary name of Jordan with a driver determined to carve his own legacy.

Over the next few seasons, 23XI gradually expanded its footprint. In 2022, the team added a second entry, the No. 45 Toyota, with former Cup Series champion Kurt Busch behind the wheel, further solidifying its place on the grid. Busch’s addition brought experience and technical feedback crucial for maturing the team’s racecraft. Yet, 23XI’s commitment was not simply about adding cars; it was about building a performance-oriented culture underpinned by meticulous preparation – locking in partners, hiring technical experts, and leveraging all available data and systems to elevate its competitiveness.

Building Competitive Capabilities and Identity (2023-2024)

In 2023, 23XI made another significant strategic move by signing Tyler Reddick to the No. 45 team. Reddick was already established as a stout competitor with wins and strong finishes in previous seasons. His addition signaled 23XI’s commitment to gathering top-tier talent and contending not just for individual wins, but for season-long success.

The organizational structure also evolved: 23XI opened Airspeed, a 114,000‑square‑foot facility in Huntersville, North Carolina, that became the nerve center of its operations, housing cars, engineers, and off‑track strategic planning. Partnerships flourished, including a renewed and expanded collaboration with Xfinity. This relationship not only provided financial backing but also technological resources—including the Xfinity Speed Center, which serves as a race‑weekend war room for strategic decision‑making and data analysis. This integration of technology and sponsorship exemplified a broader shift in how modern racing teams operate—blending performance data with branding visibility in ways that elevate both competitiveness and fan engagement.

On the track, the 2024 season delivered some of the team’s strongest performances. Reddick captured the regular‑season championship, a remarkable achievement highlighting consistency and competitiveness across different track types and race conditions. This marked the first time 23XI Racing had entered the Championship 4, NASCAR’s season finale where four drivers vie for the overall title—a testament to the team’s rapid ascent from expansion newcomer to title contender.

Strategic Expansion: 2025 and the Third Car

Heading into 2025, 23XI continued its growth with bold moves in both personnel and team expansion. The team added a third full‑time entry, the No. 35 Toyota Camry, driven by Riley Herbst. This expansion was significant: moving beyond its established two-car structure demonstrated confidence in the team’s technical infrastructure, financial resources, and driver development pathways. It also diversified the team’s competitive portfolio, offering more data points and opportunities to refine chassis setups and strategy options across different races.

This expansion aligned with a broader internal focus on driver development and competitive depth. Alongside its core trio of Wallace, Reddick, and Herbst, 23XI occasionally fielded additional part-time entries—such as the No. 67 car—to give promising talent like Corey Heim extra exposure at the Cup level. Such moves underscored 23XI’s dual commitment to present competitiveness and future growth, blending experience with emerging talent.

Yet the 2025 season was not without its challenges. According to internal reports and reflections from team president Steve Lauletta, integrating the third car added complexity to the team’s logistics and resource allocation—introducing a learning curve that affected consistency across races. While the team demonstrated strong potential and flashes of competitive speed, it also encountered tough breaks and underwhelming averages at times. Nonetheless, the executives remained steadfast in their belief that expanding the program was essential for long-term success.

Off the track, 23XI continued to cultivate partnerships that strengthened its brand presence within and beyond motorsports. In January 2026, the team announced SupplyHouse, a leading provider of plumbing, HVAC, and electrical supplies, as an official partner for the 2026 season. SupplyHouse branding would feature prominently on Tyler Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota Camry at multiple events, a notable step as the company expanded into the sports world for the first time.

Meanwhile, Xfinity continued to deepen its commitment—serving not just as a sponsor across entries, but becoming the majority partner for Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 car in the 2026 season. This involved the first-ever Xfinity-branded paint scheme in the Daytona 500, demonstrating the partner’s belief in 23XI’s competitive and commercial trajectory.

Legal Clash with NASCAR: Competition Beyond the Track

Perhaps the most dramatic and consequential chapter in 23XI’s story has been its legal challenge to NASCAR’s charter system – a dispute that transcended race results and put the team in direct confrontation with the governing structure of the sport.

In late 2024 and throughout 2025, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. The core contention was that NASCAR’s charter agreement – designed to guarantee race entries and stability to chartered teams – was monopolistic and restrictive, particularly with a clause that limited the rights of teams to pursue legal action. The two teams refused to sign the new charter agreement for the 2025 season and challenged the entire system as anticompetitive.

At one point, a U.S. appeals court vacated a preliminary injunction that had allowed 23XI and Front Row to maintain charter status while the lawsuit proceeded – a decision that threatened their financial footing and demanded qualification for every race rather than guaranteeing starts via charters.

But the story did not end there. In December 2025, the trial reached a pivotal moment when the parties ultimately arrived at a settlement that established evergreen charters for all teams moving forward—a development that validated significant elements of the teams’ challenge and reshaped the charter landscape for NASCAR’s future.

This episode was transformative on multiple levels:

Sport Governance: It challenged the traditional power dynamics between NASCAR and its teams – forcing a reconsideration of how competition and commercial rights are structured.
Team Identity: It elevated 23XI’s profile from merely a competitive racing team to an organization willing to challenge the status quo for broader industry change.
Brand Resonance: The publicity around the case – and its settlement – expanded 23XI’s visibility beyond traditional NASCAR audiences into mainstream media, sports, and business conversations.

The legal battle also triggered broader organizational consequences within the sport, including the resignation of NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps in early 2026 following public fallout from the trial and related controversies.

Racing into 2026: Daytona Glory and Competitive Momentum

If the legal victory strengthened 23XI’s structural foundation, then the 2026 season opened with one of the most thrilling accomplishments in the team’s history.

At the 2026 Daytona 500 – NASCAR’s most prestigious and widely watched race – Tyler Reddick brought home a dramatic victory for 23XI Racing. Despite leading only the final lap, Reddick’s late-race surge delivered the team its first-ever Daytona 500 win, a milestone moment that placed 23XI permanently into the sport’s elite annals. The win also carried deep emotional context: it coincided with Reddick’s personal journey, including the challenges he faced off-track in 2025 caring for his infant son’s serious health condition.

For Michael Jordan, this victory was especially poignant. Celebrating just days before his 63rd birthday, the Daytona 500 triumph symbolized the culmination of years of strategic planning and cultural investment, rather than merely a singular accomplishment. After all, Jordan’s storied career in basketball brought him six NBA championships and countless individual honors – but winning NASCAR’s marquee event with 23XI Racing added a new chapter to his legacy of competitive excellence.

Bubba Wallace – although leading many laps during the race – finished tenth, adding to an already strong season. His role as a cornerstone of the team’s identity and performance remains indispensable. Combined with Reddick’s win and the ongoing development of Riley Herbst, 23XI’s on-track momentum has helped solidify belief that the team’s best years may yet lie ahead.

Cultural Impact and Beyond: More Than Speed

Beyond race results and legal wrangling, 23XI Racing has become a cultural entity in its own right – bringing fresh narratives into NASCAR’s universe and connecting with audiences beyond racing purists.

From the outset, Michael Jordan’s involvement drew attention from mainstream sports media, cross-over fans, and global audiences. The alignment with drivers like Bubba Wallace – himself vocal about diversity and inclusion – helped broaden NASCAR’s cultural conversation, inviting new fans to the sport’s traditions.

Partnerships with companies like SupplyHouse and Xfinity, plus other emerging sponsors, signify a team that appeals not just to old fans but to professionals, families, and new demographics who see NASCAR as more than a niche pastime.

Looking Ahead: The Road Continues

As 23XI Racing charges deeper into 2026 and beyond, several themes stand clear:

Competitive Aspirations: Victory at Daytona validated the team’s racecraft, but true championship contention will require consistent excellence across diverse tracks and conditions.
Organizational Growth: The three-car structure and periodic developmental entries signal a long-term commitment to building depth.
Cultural Influence: As an organization with both sporting and cultural resonance, 23XI continues to shape how NASCAR is perceived by fans, media, and corporate partners.
Strategic Vision: From technological integration (like the Xfinity Speed Center) to legal innovation (the charter lawsuit), the team embodies forward-thinking leadership not always associated with racing.