NASCAR: Details revealed about Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin team
By Asher Fair
The new NASCAR Cup Series team owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin is set to be named 23XI Racing, and their car number will be #23.
When NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin revealed last month that they would be starting a new Cup Series team for the 2021 season, not much else was revealed.
The only details which were disclosed at the team were the fact that this new team had purchased their charter from Germain Racing, the team would be a one-car team and that Bubba Wallace would be their driver.
Now more details have been revealed.
As expected based on a trademark application filed last week, the name of this new team is 23XI Racing, and their car number is set to be #23.
The car number 23 was last used in the Cup Series since the 2018 season when it was used by BK Racing. BK Racing sold their assets to Front Row Motorsports in 2018, but the latter have not run a #23 car.
Teams don't own numbers but NASCAR commits to giving teams the same number year after year because obviously they have a lot of equity in the number. If a team stops using a number, NASCAR, at its discretion, will give it to someone else. https://t.co/TLYCQu0Gvr
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 17, 2020
The “23” in the team name (and the team’s car number) is based on the number which Jordan wore on his jersey as a six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls. The “XI” is the Roman numeral for “11”, which is Hamlin’s racing number.
Here is what Hamlin said in a team release.
"“Michael and I have a shared vision for this team, so it’s exciting to see it reflected in the team name and on the race car with the iconic number 23 that Michael made famous.”"
https://twitter.com/23XIRacing/status/1319302605760352256
A new chapter in Motorsports. The norm doesn’t fit for us. This is only the beginning. @23XIRacing https://t.co/qhaUUTc5Lo
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) October 22, 2020
Wallace also reacted to the big news.
This is the start of the new adventure! So ready! #23XI https://t.co/8y9UY6fo32
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) October 22, 2020
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However, there are still some questions that have not yet been answered.
It still has not been confirmed which manufacturer this new team will use, but it is still expected that they will be a Toyota team and have a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Leavine Family Racing, which formed a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing after Furniture Row Racing folded following the 2018 season, have been sold for next year, so Joe Gibbs’s team is currently not technically aligned with any other organization for 2021.
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The only other full-time Toyota team in the sport is Gaunt Brothers Racing, and they have not confirmed their plans for next year. They currently do not have a charter to run their #96 Toyota, which is driven by Daniel Suarez but won’t be after 2020.