NASCAR: 23XI Racing have a completely new driver lineup
By Asher Fair
23XI Racing have an entirely new lineup for this coming Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan partnered to form 23XI Racing and entered the NASCAR Cup Series last year with Bubba Wallace as the full-time driver of their #23 Toyota.
In the offseason between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, they added the #45 Toyota and named Kurt Busch the full-time driver.
But in this coming Sunday afternoon’s round of 8 playoff race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, their drivers are Ty Gibbs and John Hunter Nemechek.
Gibbs has filled in for Busch since Busch was sidelined with concussion-like symptoms following his qualifying crash at Pocono Raceway back in July. This Sunday’s race is set to mark his 14th straight start.
After initially driving Busch’s #45 Toyota, Gibbs shifted to Wallace’s #23 Toyota, as the team opted to put Wallace in the #45 Toyota since the #45 team had qualified for the owner playoffs thanks to Busch’s May win at Kansas Speedway. Gibbs drove the #45 Toyota for the regular season’s final six races and has been in the #23 Toyota for the first seven playoff races.
Now Nemechek is set to drive the #45 Toyota, as Wallace received a one-race suspension for intentionally wrecking Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson, a move which also took out Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, in this past Sunday afternoon’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Nemechek competes full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series and has done so since last year. He competed in the Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports in 2020 but opted to reunite with Toyota afterward, taking a ride in a lower series to do so.
Hamlin recently stated that Nemechek was actually the team’s original emergency replacement driver heading into the season, even though they ultimately called upon Gibbs to serve as Busch’s replacement. Now Nemechek is set to serve in that role and make his first Cup Series start in almost two years after all.
The 25-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina native is the team’s sixth different driver overall, and he is set to become the fifth to compete for the team.
Ty Dillon actually made the team’s first ever Cup Series start in last year’s Clash preseason exhibition race at the Daytona International Speedway road course.
Additionally, the team have signed Tyler Reddick as Busch’s full-time replacement for 2023, but he has yet to compete for the organization.
Next. The round of 8 team whose driver is already eliminated. dark
This Sunday’s race, the Dixie Vodka 400, is set to be broadcast live from Homestead-Miami Speedway on NBC beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now if you haven’t already done so!