Denny Hamlin finds himself in unfamiliar territory. After a 19-year-long partnership with FedEx, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran parted ways with the logistics giant in 2024, marking the end of an era that began in 2005. The struggle has been real since then, as the No. 11 Toyota team has been scrambling to find a replacement, raising speculation that the racer could part ways with the team he started his Cup Series career with.

However, the team Hamlin co-owns, 23XI Racing, appears to be experiencing no sponsorship woes. Despite its ongoing anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR, the team co-owned by Michael Jordan recently extended its partnership with a long-time partner, giving them a bigger presence both on and off the racetrack.

Is Joe Gibbs Racing failing Denny Hamlin?

It hasn’t been easy for Denny Hamlin. Despite his stature within the sport, the 44-year-old has been struggling to land a sponsor ever since FedEx decided to scale back its presence in the NASCAR world. While Joe Gibbs Racing has announced that the National Debt Relief has signed on to sponsor four big races, it is a temporary solution to a problem that needs to be addressed immediately. It’s a similar set of circumstances Kyle Busch found himself in after M&M withdrew from the stock car racing series in 2023 and Busch subsequently moved to Richard Childress Racing.

Meanwhile, 23XI Racing has not just extended but also increased its partnership with Xfinity. The Comcast service will be the primary sponsor for Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace in 2025 and have a physical presence at the team’s shop, Airspeed. Called the ‘Xfinity Speed Center’, the communications hub will allow personnel to connect with crew members at the track, ensuring certain officials will not have to travel along with the team as per the calendar.

It’s a step in the right direction for 23XI Racing, as the team looks to become regular title contenders at NASCAR’s highest level. Sharing his thoughts after the 138-billion-worth sponsor extended its partnership, Denny Hamlin said, “It’s great to have a partner that not only shares a passion for racing but also understands how important innovation and reliable technology are to our current and future success.” As per the new agreement, Xfinity will have seven primary paint schemes throughout the year, five for Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota and two for Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 Camry.

Despite the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, it seems like the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan seems to have no struggles in finding quality sponsors and extending their involvement with 23XI. Considering Joe Gibbs Racing’s recent struggles in replacing FedEx, questions are being raised if the team is doing enough to help the 44-year-old veteran in the present circumstances. After Kyle Busch left for Richard Childress Racing, the driver didn’t hold back and said, “Did JGR try hard enough to sell me? My answer to that is no.” Could history be repeating itself once again?

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Tyler Reddick shares his thoughts on Xfinity extending its partnership

It’s fair to say that 23XI Racing is an ambitious team. Ever since they made their first Cup Series appearance in 2001, the Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin co-owned side has been moving from strength to strength with each passing year. Last year, Tyler Reddick made it all the way to Championship 4 after winning the regular season championship, highlighting just how far the team has come in a very short period. Given their mercurial rise, it’s not surprising that Xfinity has not only decided to remain involved but expand its presence with the NASCAR team this year.

Sharing his thoughts about the partnership, Tyler Reddick said, “It’s been really great. Dating back to the days of running a part-time schedule in the Xfinity Series to winning at Kentucky which helped get me over to JR Motorsports. The moments that I had in the Xfinity Series were in a make-or-break part of my career where if I didn’t perform at that level, I wasn’t going to get an opportunity on the Cup side. It’s been great to continue their relationship with 23XI and continue relationships that were already formed in the Xfinity Series.”

Reddick, who won the Xfinity Series twice, undoubtedly has good memories with the Comcast-based service. Despite the multi-billion dollar company extending its contract with 23XI Racing, they will no longer remain title sponsors for NASCAR’s second tier after 2025. This gives the sanctioning body a full year to find a potential replacement for the series, which is now being broadcasted on The CW after a deal was signed until 2031 for all 33 races.