NASCAR: Bubba Wallace won’t be 23XI Racing’s first driver
By Asher Fair
Because of the Busch Clash requirements, Bubba Wallace will not be the first driver to compete for 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The first race of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, like it traditionally is, is an exhibition race at Daytona International Speedway: the Busch Clash.
This year’s Busch Clash is set to kick off Daytona Speedweeks presented by AdventHealth at the track’s 14-turn, 3.61-mile (5.810-kilometer) road course as opposed to the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked oval. It is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 9.
Not all drivers are allowed to compete in this event, however.
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Only 2020 Busch Pole Award winners, past Busch Clash winners, past Daytona 500 winners who competed full-time in 2020, past Daytona 500 polesitters who competed full-time in 2020, 2020 Cup Series playoff drivers, 2020 Cup Series race winners and 2020 Cup Series stage winners are eligible to compete.
As a result, Bubba Wallace, the former Richard Petty Motorsports driver who signed with 23XI Racing, the new team started by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin, will not be able to compete.
Because the team still plan to run their #23 Toyota in this event, Wallace will technically not be their first ever driver.
Ty Dillon, who competed full-time for Germain Racing last year, lost his ride when Germain Racing sold their charter to 23XI Racing.
He is not set to compete full-time this season, but he has landed a ride with Gaunt Brothers Racing for the Daytona 500. He is also set to compete in at least four races with fellow Toyota team Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series.
Now he is ironically set to compete for 23XI Racing as well.
Dillon won a stage at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in October, making him eligible to compete in the Busch Clash, and the Jordan/Hamlin-owned team is set to give him that chance.
Root Insurance is slated to serve as the primary sponsor of his #23 Toyota, which is still set to be driven full-time by Wallace throughout the 2021 season.
See you at The Clash, @root_insurance!
— 23XI Racing (@23XIRacing) February 3, 2021
February 9 | 7 PM ET | @FS1 pic.twitter.com/S1smFB67pW
So the driver who lost his ride when 23XI Racing bought his team’s charter is set to be the first driver to ever compete for 23XI Racing, and as a result, Wallace won’t end up being the first driver to compete for the new team in an actual race — even if it is only an exhibition.
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The Busch Clash is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 9. Wallace is set to get behind the wheel of the #23 Toyota for Daytona 500 qualifying on Wednesday, February 10 (Fox Sports 1, 7:00 p.m. ET) and the Bluegreen Vacations Duels on Thursday, February 11 (Fox Sports 1, 7:00 p.m. ET) before the 63rd annual Daytona 500 itself on Sunday, February 14 (Fox, 2:30 p.m. ET).