23XI Racing

23XI Racing was founded in September 2020 by NBA legend Michael Jordan as majority owner and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin as co-owner, supported by businessman Curtis Polk. The team’s racing debut came in 2021 as a single-car team at the Daytona 500, with Bubba Wallace at the wheel of the No. 23 Toyota Camry. The team secured its permanent starting position through the purchase of a charter from Germain Racing, an early but crucial step for the organization’s future.

The name 23XI is derived from the careers of its founders: The 23 stands for Michael Jordan’s legendary jersey number with the Chicago Bulls, and the XI, or 11, represents Denny Hamlin’s primary number, which he carried throughout his entire Cup Series career at Joe Gibbs Racing. Since May 2024, the team has been based in its new headquarters called Airspeed in Huntersville, North Carolina, a 114,000 square-foot facility that Hamlin designed following the model of Formula 1 teams and tech headquarters.

The team’s most successful period began early: On October 4, 2021, Wallace won at Talladega, marking the team’s first victory in history and making him only the second African American driver to win a Cup Series race. In 2022, the team expanded to two cars, with Kurt Busch taking over the new No. 45 Camry and winning in May at Kansas, securing 23XI its first playoff berth. Beginning in 2023, Tyler Reddick took over the No. 45 cockpit, won two races, and finished sixth in the overall standings. In 2024, he capped the team’s development with the Regular Season Championship title and a spot in the Championship 4.

President Steve Lauletta has led operations since the team’s founding, supported by Race Director Dave Rogers. For the 2026 season, 23XI is building a four-car lineup: Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace continue as the core driver pairing, joined by Riley Herbst and part-time driver Corey Heim. After the antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, which 23XI launched together with Front Row Motorsports in late 2024, was settled in December 2025, the organization now looks ahead with newly gained planning certainty to a season in which it aims to build on its previous successes.