Making it to the round of 8 and missing out on the championship race is perhaps one of the most heartbreaking things for a team. Amidst all the disappointment, it is easy to forget all the good progress the team might have made throughout the season. For Michael Jordan and 23XI Racing, the result at Martinsville was heartbreaking. 

And yet, 23XI Racing had a transformative season in 2023. Both Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace stepped up to the occasion and delivered as much as they could. Wallace made the playoffs for the first time in his career and made it to the round of 12. Reddick went a step further into the round of 8 but fell short of making it to Phoenix. Looking at the season they have had, there is a lot more to be proud of as per a prominent NASCAR insider.

Hendrick Motorsports legend hails Michael Jordan’s team’s 2023 performance

In the final race of the round of 12, Bubba Wallace was slapped with a stop-and-go penalty by NASCAR which effectively ended his charge. Several fans and experts called the move unnecessary as it was not the 30-year-old’s fault. It was perhaps one of the harshest ways a driver could be eliminated from the playoffs.

Tyler Reddick, on the other hand, did not face any such trouble with NASCAR. He made it to the round of 8 but was eliminated after Martinsville due to his low points tally. Getting eliminated right before the championship race would have dampened Reddick’s spirits, as he had good pace throughout the season.

While results like these can easily deflate someone’s confidence, former HMS crew chief and NASCAR insider Steve Letarte believes that the Michael Jordan co-owned 23XI Racing has enough reasons to keep their chins up. On a recent episode of Motor Mouths, Letarte praised the team despite not fielding a single car in the Phoenix title fight.

“I’d be having a celebratory lunch this week if I was the 45 in 23XI because I think what this year needs to be is celebrated. The transition from Chevrolet to Toyota, from Richard Childress to 23XI could have been bumpy. Remember, he didn’t bring his crew chief with him. He had to kind of meld in with a new team, a new group, a new crew chief, and yet not only did Tyler Reddick but all of 23XI continued to improve. They got both cars in the playoffs,” Letarte said.

The former HMS man sang the praises of Bubba Wallace as well who had visibly improved throughout the campaign. He also mentioned that the team was on the right path and alluded to them being even stronger come next season.

“Bubba Wallace, while he didn’t win this season, or hasn’t yet, he went farther in the playoffs than ever and Tyler Reddick making it all the way to the round of 8, I would change the whole storyline right around. I would have had a big group luncheon when we loaded the Phoenix cars and tell the entire shop how proud I am of what we accomplished and this is just the beginning. This isn’t a disappointment. This isn’t even a detour. This is part of the path that we already knew we were climbing and this is just one step, can’t wait for next year,” he added.

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Tyler Reddick’s performance at the Martinsville Speedway was not one to remember, however. The 27-year-old could only manage a P26 finish which was never going to get him enough points to make it to Phoenix. However, the 23XI Racing driver’s day wasn’t without incident.

23XI Racing star’s race made difficult by Martinsville winner

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The Martinsville race saw an unlikely victor in Ryan Blaney. The Team Penske star has hit a purple patch of form just at the right team and he will be hoping to win his first Cup title. Blaney and Tyler Reddick had a brief coming together on track on Sunday which could have been a bit irritating for the 23XI man.

However, the driver of the #12 was apologetic immediately after the contact. He radioed his team and asked them to extend his apologies to Reddick and the #45 team. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to (hit him). Tell him my bad,” the Team Penske man said. Blaney made contact with the #45 Toyota in the 212th lap of the race.

For Reddick and the rest of the 23XI Racing team, however, the focus now will be on the 2024 Cup Series season. They have exceeded expectations this season and will have a lot of confidence building on this year’s performance.

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