23XI and Trackhouse Racing have made great strides in the last four years. Both teams were founded in 2020, with ambitious owners who were hoping to take the Cup Series by storm. It’s fair to say that Michael Jordan and Justin Marks’ expectations have largely been fulfilled, as both sides have shown steady improvement to become forces to be reckoned with at NASCAR’s highest level. With statistics painting a nearly identical picture, could either one team surpass the other during the 2025 campaign?

After a busy off-season, the stakes are higher than ever for 23XI and Trackhouse Racing. Both teams will be aiming to make a deep playoff run so that they can challenge for the Bill France Cup at Phoenix Raceway later this year.

Trackhouse Racing and 23XI are neck and neck

The expectations are at an all-time high from 23XI and Trackhouse Racing. Why would they not be? Both teams have expanded their Cup Series operations during the winter, with Shane van Gisbergen taking over a full-time seat at Trackhouse Racing, while Riley Herbst has joined 23XI Racing from the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing. It’s been a topsy-turvy journey at NASCAR’s highest level for either side, and many fans expect 2025 to be a breakthrough year where one of them finally establishes their dominance over the other.

As things stand, there is very little to separate the two teams. Both of them have the same number of top-fives (46) while Trackhouse Racing has four more top-ten results as compared to their rivals. They have the same number of Championship 4 appearances as well, with 23XI’s Tyler Reddick competing for the title at Phoenix Raceway last year and Ross Chastain finishing second in the driver standings at the end of his debut season for Justin Marks’ team in 2022. The coincidences don’t end there, as both teams also have the same number of wins (8) and the same amount of winners (3), with each side competing in 144 races so far. The winners for 23XI are Kurt Busch at Kansas in 2022, Tyler Reddick, and Bubba Wallace. Meanwhile, Trackhouse saw Shane Van Gisbergen win his debut race at Chicago Street in 2023, adding to Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez as a race winner.

Both 23XI and Trackhouse Racing have broken the mold to gain a foothold in the sport. Bubba Wallace is the longest-serving driver in the team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, and he’s the only African-American racer in any of NASCAR’s Cup Series. As for Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks’ team has progressed significantly since their one-car operation with Daniel Suárez in 2021. The team built its foundation by acquiring Chip Ganassi’s assets and signed Ross Chastain in 2022, who almost won the championship in his debut season after a stunning wall ride in Martinsville to edge Denny Hamlin out of the Championship 4.

Fast forward to the present day and Trackhouse Racing will feature four drivers for the Daytona 500, including Indycar legend Helio Castroneves. Meanwhile, 23XI has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR for ‘monopolistic practices’, and has successfully retained its charters despite not signing the agreement, after the preliminary injunction was approved. It’s fair to say that both teams have broken boundaries through unconventional means to make a mark in the NASCAR world and their next goal will be to win the elusive Cup Series championship for the first time in their history.

23XI Racing has momentum on its side

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Despite identical statistics, the general narrative in NASCAR circles is that 23XI is outperforming Trackhouse Racing. Why is that? The underlying reason might be that Tyler Reddick more recently clinched the regular season championship and made it to Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway in 2024. In comparison, Trackhouse Racing’s lead driver Ross Chastain finished 19th when the season ended, securing just one victory at Kansas Speedway while failing to make the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Daniel Suarez secured a .003-of-a-second margin victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the second fixture of the year, finishing just ahead of Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch at the Ambetter Health 400. For many fans, the team owned by Justin Marks and Pitbull underperformed last year, while 23XI Racing has improved significantly, as Reddick secured three wins in the Cup Series in 2024. Taking these factors into account, it’s not surprising why many believe 23XI could get the upper hand over Trackhouse Racing in the months ahead.

However, NASCAR is a sport defined by fine margins, and anything can happen on the racetrack. Shane van Gisbergen is a real force to be reckoned with on road courses, and he will be the favorite to win at Chicago, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen. This would give Trackhouse Racing another driver in the playoffs, and the win-and-in format can lead to unpredictable outcomes. Given how steadily both teams have risen at the sport’s highest level, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that either side could win the championship at the end of the year, even though the bookies might slightly favor 23XI Racing.