With more eyeballs, new fans, and the expansion of the stock car racing series, this has been on NASCAR’s agenda in an attempt to bring back the glory days. NASCAR essentially is trying everything to try and bridge that gap. They have rolled out a new race car, raced at non-traditional venues, and have even planned an international race for 2025.

While the sanctioning body is looking to pull multiple strings in gaining a new audience, they might want to have a look in their backyard. Not all major sporting series are lucky to have Michael Jordan’s involvement; at NASCAR, he has his team, 23XI Racing. Just imagine if Tyler Reddick bags his first championship this Sunday; it does become a huge deal. And the impact of such a victory will be beyond NASCAR’s traditional borders.

23XI Racing President believes Michael Jordan’s ownership success is a big boost for NASCAR

Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s brainchild has quickly cemented themselves as a competitive race outfit. Starting in 2021, the team has managed to go toe-to-toe with the giants of the sport like Hendrick Motorsports, Team Penske, and Joe Gibbs Racing. In 2023, both the drivers Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick managed to reach the playoffs. And the #45 team has leveled up further this season, reaching the Championship 4.

It is fair to say that the situation is far from ideal for the whole 23XI Racing team. Uncertainty looms over their heads as they are embroiled in a legal battle against NASCAR over the charter agreement. But, despite their tussle, a championship win by Jordan and Hamlin’s team is only going to promote NASCAR further.

Team President Steve Lauletta, in an interview with Toby Christie sharing a similar sentiment, explained, “I think very few professional sports teams has reached the level of championship success in such a short amount of time as we could this weekend. So that would be huge, and then you throw in the fact that it is owned by two legends in their own sports that we’ve been talking about. I think it will be big big news and something that will put NASCAR in the spotlight again, as we’ve tried to do it a few other times.”

It certainly isn’t going to be an easy task to bring the trophy home for Tyler Reddick and the #45 team. They are up against seasoned championship-winning drivers like Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. You’ve also got the surprise package in William Byron, who is Hendrick Motorsports’ final hope to win the title on their 40th anniversary. So multiple storylines are running parallel with 23XI Racing’s, and it will be interesting to see how it all pans out. Although Reddick doesn’t have a win at Phoenix, he did finish in third place during the 2023 Spring race.

However, the good news for Reddick is that he has the guidance and mentorship of Denny Hamlin. And while the JGR veteran has not won a championship, he has immense experience being in these situations.

Hamlin reveals the advice he’ll give to Tyler Reddick

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Out of all the Toyota drivers, Reddick has arguably been among the best ones this season. Maybe Christopher Bell might be the one who could edge him in terms of consistency, but again, he isn’t racing for the championship. However, for all the talent and hunger Reddick possesses, he does lack the experience of racing in a life-altering finale race. Moreover, his record at the low-banked mile oval track in Phoenix isn’t great. Especially in the fall, he’s never finished inside the top 10, so he will need all the help he can get to prepare for the race.

Information overload can be a big issue for a driver competing in a crucial race, and Hamlin out of all is aware of this fact. This is why his advice to his driver isn’t something out of the blue, but a simple one. “There is. I won’t say it on here. I’ll say it to him privately, but certainly yeah, there’s some experience that, you know, I can lend to him on how to treat the week. So much of it is about having fun and enjoying this process and understanding that, you know, making the championship 4 is most drivers’s goals.” Hamlin said this on the Actions Detrimental podcast.

The veteran driver even added that he should be looking to control to controllable and not spread himself thin in case things don’t fall in his favor. “What happens in a one-race, winner-take-all all? You know, some things are going to be out of your control there, but making sure you spend the week having fun, enjoying it, enjoying the process. That would be my advice.”

Do you think Tyler Reddick is a genuine contender to win his maiden Cup Series title this Sunday? If not, which driver are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below.