Denny Hamlin Delighted by His & Michael Jordan's $150 Million Worth Brainchild Ending a 5-Year Wait

Given the commercial challenges, it is a massive challenge for any NASCAR team to sustain. Despite spending several years in the Cup Series, Stewart-Haas Racing will be shutting its shop at the end of the season. At the same time, the Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing seem to be going the opposite way. Under the leadership of the two mavericks, the team has grown leaps and bounds with time. When 23XI Racing opened in 2020, people barely believed in the idea of success. The combination of Hamlin and Jordan looked interesting but lacked belief given the presence of Cup Series giants Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. Fast forward four years and the team has looked stronger than ever. Not only that, 2024 could end up being a special year for the Huntersville-based team.
Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan could write history this season with 23XI Racing

It is no secret that Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan share an amazing bond. It only got better when they took their friendship to form 23XI Racing in 2020. Reportedly, the team is now worth approximately $150 million. While the figure might not be as big as the already established Cup Series teams, the growing speed is more than commendable. Back in March this year, 23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta confirmed how Denny Hamlin laid out a five-year plan. The goal was to be a consistent race-winning team and be a championship-contending team. Not only has 23XI Racing been more consistent with its wins but also looks in prime position to win a championship in the 2024 campaign. Currently, in its fourth season, 23XI Racing finds both drivers Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace doing a fine job on the track. While Wallace looks close to a playoff spot, Reddick has been sensational this campaign. With two wins, 11 top-five, and 17 top-ten finishes, the 27-year-old sits top of the Cup Series standings.

Reddick remains one of the favorites to shine at Darlington on the upcoming weekend and secure his first-ever regular season title win. Not only that, given his consistency this season, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he goes all the way to win the championship. Truly, it would be an incredible achievement. What Denny Hamlin predicted to happen in five years could just happen within it. It is important to note that 23XI Racing reportedly made more money than any of the other Cup Series teams combined last year. Unsurprisingly, the power of Hamlin and Jordan in attracting sponsors did wonders but so did the on-track results. 23XI Racing saw both its drivers make the playoffs in 2023 for the first time ever in the team’s history.

Not only that, Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan built a new 114,000-square-foot headquarters ‘Airspeed’ this year. While the duo is leaving no stone unturned in taking the team ahead, Hamlin remains immensely pleased with how things have been with the team. Speaking on the latest of his podcast ‘Actions Detrimental’, he said, “It means a lot. I’m really proud of what we’ve built over there and building it from scratch has not been easy.” While he knew long-term efforts would reap success, his prediction of five years to build a championship-contending team has almost come true. Denny Hamlin added, “So when I said it would take five years to build a championship-contending organization, I knew that was a realistic number.” While he looked happy with the progress, the dashing team owner also revealed some details of what’s next in the pipeline for 23XI Racing.
Denny Hamlin explains future plans for 23XI Racing with on-track success likely on the cards this season
It is no secret that Denny Hamlin enjoys being the villain in NASCAR. While he does that, he has done a fabulous job with 23XI Racing. Using all his experience and recognition, Hamlin has given maximum resources to the team. With the financial backing from him and Michael Jordan, the team has still a long way to go. However, it all comes down to how Tyler Reddick ends his 2024 season. Even a regular-season championship win could do wonders for him this season. While Denny Hamlin eagerly waits to see what happens next, he gives a glimpse of what is likely to happen at 23XI Racing. Speaking on the same podcast episode, he said, “There are probably things on the list right now. I want my competition department to work on next. The project might take a year or two to actually finish.” Hamlin also confirmed that 23XI Racing is building its pit crew facility. This setup is likely to be ready by the end of the season this year. While the expansion plan goes on, Hamlin explains how it cannot be done without the right people. He said, “If you wanna start a new department, you gotta find the talent and we’re not gonna just hire people just to hire them. We’re gonna make sure that it’s the right people.”

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Interestingly, Hamlin made a point to thank 23XI Racing’s performance director David Rogers. He said, “I think Dave Rogers and that whole team competition department has just done a fabulous job putting the right people in the right places to succeed. They work really closely with Joe Gibbs Racing, particularly the #11 car. They’re seeing the fruits of all the hard work they’ve put in and certainly would love to see them get this thing to the finish line next week.” Most certainly, it is interesting to see what Tyler Reddick ends up achieving at Darlington this week. Regardless, Denny Hamlin will be happy to know that 23XI Racing’s future lies in good hands. Amazingly, will Reddick win before Hamlin himself gets a championship victory? Well, we shall soon find out.
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