Race day at 23XI Racing isn’t just another Sunday cruise, it’s high-octane, heart-pounding action. And if you think Michael Jordan is just another billionaire owner kicking back in a luxury suite, think again. Bubba Wallace, the No. 23 driver, knows the stakes more than anyone. Every time he buckles in, he feels the weight of expectation—the silent pressure from the legend who built his career on winning. There’s an invisible presence at 23XI, a competitive fire that fuels the whole team. And when arguably the greatest athlete in sports history is calling the shots, you know the stakes are high.
To be very honest, Jordan didn’t jump into NASCAR for the headlines. The guy grew up in North Carolina, where stock car racing was part of the culture. Sure, he became a basketball icon but his love for racing never left. So in 2020, he made it official. He teamed up with Denny Hamlin to launch 23XI Racing and put his stamp on the sport. Fast forward a few years, and this team isn’t just on the sidelines, they’re winning. Multiple victories and a regular-season title with Tyler Reddick have made them one of the hottest tickets in the sport, so much so that they have now inked a new deal with Robinhood, a financial services platform, for a select few races in 2025 NASCAR Cup Series.
Robinhood will serve as the primary sponsor for four races, split between Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota and Corey Heim’s No. 67 Toyota, starting with the Kansas Speedway race in May. The partnership marks Robinhood’s first venture into motorsports, expanding its sports presence beyond NBA jersey sponsorships. Seems like it’s going for Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s team, right? But here’s the thing, if you think Jordan’s just some hands-off owner you would be completely off the mark. Let’s hear what Bubba Wallace has to say!
In a recent chat on CBS Mornings, Bubba Wallace gave us a glimpse into what it’s really like having Michael Jordan as a boss. “We talk multiple times throughout the week,” Wallace shared. “And definitely, there’s a text before and definitely after a race. He’s watching. Good or bad, win, lose, or draw, he’s always watching.” That kind of hands-on involvement surely does bring positive energy to the team but also it carries a massive weight of expectations. Jordan’s influence in 23XI’s culture pushes his drivers to bring the same relentless mindset to the track. When your team owner is a guy who refuses to settle for second place, mediocrity isn’t just frowned upon, it doesn’t exist.
So, what’s next for Jordan and 23XI Racing? More wins? A championship run? One thing’s certain is that MJ won’t just be sitting back and watching. Basketball or NASCAR, it doesn’t really matter, his competitive fire will never cool down. And if history has taught us anything, it’s this: when Michael Jordan locks in on greatness, he doesn’t just chase it. He gets it.
Burning rubber and memories: how Michael Jordan’s NASCAR passion tracks back to his dad
Not everyone knows this, but Michael Jordan’s father wasn’t the biggest basketball fan. His heart belonged to baseball, and he always dreamed of his son playing in the major leagues. But Jordan had other plans. Then, in 1993, everything changed. His father was tragically murdered, and the loss shook Jordan to his core. That same year, in an emotional decision that stunned the sports world, he walked away from basketball to chase a different dream. One that wasn’t really his, but his father’s. Baseball had been his father’s greatest love, and for Jordan, honoring that meant stepping into a sport he never saw coming.
But here’s something even fewer people know—his father had another passion—motorsports. He literally lived and breathed it, spending years working on engines and taking his family to races. That’s where Jordan’s love for speed and stock cars was born. In 2020, Jordan finally took that childhood passion to the next level, co-founding 23XI Racing with Denny Hamlin. Reflecting on his father’s influence.
He said, “My father used to take me to races. Not just me, but my whole family. He was a big car person. He worked on engines for years. Then he became a big stock-car fan and bred us to do the same… I’ve been involved in car racing for a long period of time as a fan, obviously, through my parents, through my father.”
So now you know. The greatest basketball player of all time didn’t just trade his sneakers for speed. Jordan was chasing something much deeper—a connection, a legacy, a love for racing that started with his father.
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