Michael Jordan’s Partner Denny Hamlin Confesses Team’s Weakness Cost Tyler Reddick the Vegas Win

For 23XI Racing, the 2024 Pennzoil 400 ended with bitterness. The victory could have been theirs. #45 Tyler Reddick showcased a valiant run, ultimately finishing second behind back-to-back Vegas victor Kyle Larson. But Reddick’s frustration was visible.

The two-time Xfinity champion’s sentiments echoed throughout his team and the NASCAR nation, with his post-race comments highlighting the recurring issue of “Stupid mistakes on pit road, same s**t different year, right? Like it’s kind of frustrating, so we’ll continue to work on it…,” Reddick stated with a lot of regret.

Co-Owner Denny Hamlin Highlights Tyler Reddick’s Pit Crew Woes

The echoes of dissatisfaction within the #45 team gradually reached the ears of the co-owner of 23XI, three-time Daytona 500 winner, Denny Hamlin, who has a bigger part to play in all race-related decisions due to his extensive experience compared to his partner, multiple-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer, Michael Jordan.

Hamlin’s thoughts were shared in the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast with co-host Jared Allen. Allen stated, “Tyler Reddick said ‘Stupid mistakes on pit road, same sh*t different year’ and we have been having this pit road discussion for years now, back to when JGR were supplying 23XI pit crews. I feel like that’s a very damning quote.”

The #11 Toyota driver for Joe Gibbs Racing agreed, saying, “This is the new team blues, and this is why, as smart as Justin (Marks) is, he just bought a team that already had good pit crews.” Hamlin elaborated on the difficulty of building a pit crew program from scratch while drawing comparisons to Justin Marks, co-owner of Cup Series contenders, Trackhouse Racing, and global pop-icon Pitbull. A team initiated around the same time Hamlin’s joint venture with MJ took flight in 2020.

Explaining the challenges of acquiring experienced personnel due to crew members and technicians being tied down to long-term contracts with established teams, he said, “You know, when I had to start this d*mn thing from scratch, I had nobody. And so anybody that’s really, really good, they’re under long contracts. These teams lock these guys up for years and years and so you get nobody… You got to find talent within the field somewhere… or you try to get some young guys that are very inexperienced and this is just part of starting a team and trying to do this on your own.”

But as Hamlin’s monologue to his co-host intensified, he delved into the true necessity of collaborations on the pit lane for the young organization.

Read More: “Same Sh*t Different Year” – Tyler Reddick Frustrated With 23XI After Las Vegas Slips Away

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Touching upon Allen’s initial inquiry about the longstanding discussions over 23XI’s pit crew mishaps dating back to the JGR lease for pit crew members, Hamlin assessed the negative impact it has had on Reddick’s races over time. He regretfully declared, “There were at least two or three victories that Tyler should have had last year that he didn’t get an opportunity to because we messed up for him on pit road…”

While Reddick battled for the win in Vegas, his teammate, Bubba Wallace, also faced his share of pit lane woes. A green-flag pit stop mishap, where the crew struggled to remove a lug nut from the #23 Toyota Camry XSE, resulted in Wallace losing valuable time and falling several laps down, eventually finishing in 35th position, dropping ten places in the standings table to come in at a disappointing 14th spot.

Nevertheless, the JGR veteran emphasized the need for improvement across the board, just three races into the season. “Let’s try not to overreact too much in one event… Certainly, there were issues on the #23… The #45 had, it seemed like multiple issues.” This comment confirmed Tyler Reddick’s sentiments, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive solution that addresses these pit road challenges faced collectively by 23XI Racing.

While the spotlight focused on the 23XI cars and their respective pit crew issues, it’s worth noting that Denny Hamlin himself, driving the #11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing, secured a respectable 7th place finish in Vegas. Both contingents will be looking for a better showing at the Phoenix Raceway on March 6.

Read More: Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin to Field Third 23XI Racing Car in 2024 NASCAR Cup Series