Big-name owners often raise expectations in NASCAR, and 23XI Racing is no exception. According to Tyler Reddick, Michael Jordan's involvement has been a major positive for the organization.

At the pre-race press conference before the eero 400 at Chicagoland, Reddick spoke to reporters, answering a question about Jordan’s involvement in the team and his interactions with the co-owner. He stated that having Jordan at the racetrack is highly motivating for the entire organization and that his presence is a morale booster. 

“When he is here, it is nice to have him whether he's here or not. He's always checking in and seeing how things are going. Anytime we're able to have him here at the racetrack, I see the benefit from it, and it leaves quite an impact on everybody on the team and a part of the organization," Reddick said in the video uploaded by Cup Scene on YouTube.

He also added, "Anytime we're able to have him here, everyone is motivated to perform well for the organization, but when he's here, it gets everyone going a little bit, which is nice.”

Michael Jordan is among the co-owners frequently seen attending NASCAR races. In fact, he became kind of a lucky charm for Reddick by being present at his wins this season.

Signing big names as co-owners is also not an uncommon trend in NASCAR anymore. American rapper Pitbull used to be one of the co-owners of the Trackhouse Racing team. More recently, Legacy Motor Club also signed the three-time Grammy-winning artist, Darius Rucker, as a co-owner of the team. 

23XI Racing is currently one of the most dominant teams this season, alongside Joe Gibbs Racing. Both are Toyota-backed teams, and Denny Hamlin recently had something to say on it. 

23XI and JGR with Toyota are no different than RFK and Penske with Ford

Hamlin also spoke at the pre-race press conference separately after Reddick. He clarified that the alliance between 23XI and Joe Gibbs Racing is a strategic business decision. His team pays a fee to be affiliated with JGR to accelerate their learning curve and reach competitive levels more quickly.

He also noted that these types of alliances are quite common, believing that the relationship is reciprocal, believing that the dynamic of 23XI and JGR with Toyota is no different than the relationship Team Penske and RFK Racing have with Ford.

“There's certainly information going both ways through that tunnel. It works in that kind of way, but it's not something that is for spotted manufacturers. I would think that probably us and Legacy are no different than Penske and RFK.

"I think that we get the same amount of stuff shared that they get, but we just chose to have an alliance, and that's what I felt was the best business decision," he said.

Hamlin’s comments came after RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski, who also had a segment in the press conference earlier, credited Toyota’s data-sharing system for fostering a collaborative environment, which allows its teams to be highly competitive. 

Read more at Daytona Racing Digest  

Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason