Denny Hamlin & Michael Jordan’s Team President Confesses Unconventional Approach Snubbing Core NASCAR Fans

It is no secret how 23XI Racing has added a different flavor to the racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. With the dynamic ownership of Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, the team has time and again tried something new. While the on-track partnership of Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick is showing an upward graph, the off-track activities have been on a different level altogether.

With his immense experience, 23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta has played a vital role in making the team more than relevant. In his words, the success behind it lies in an approach backed by both owners, which is anything but traditional.

Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s team confident of sticking to new ideas

In today’s time, promoting a team has been tough, especially with the intense competition everywhere. In such cases, it is more often than not the out-of-the-box approach that does the trick. Luckily, 23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta seems to be an expert in this matter, given the wonderful job he has done.

He feels that an untraditional approach as compared to the other Cup Series teams has really helped. Speaking to Racer.com, he said, “It’s resonating that we are trying to take a little bit of a different approach. You see it in everything from our hauler designs to the influencers we have at the track, to the partners, and the programming that we do, and the content that we do. We ask ourselves every day how we can stand out.”

There is truth in Lauletta’s words. 23XI Racing gave its logo a fresh look last November and went on to do something uncommon in the Daytona 500 earlier this year. NASCAR’s initiative to provide first-of-its-kind-in-garage hospitality offerings for sponsors and other guests was more than welcomed by 23XI Racing.

The team’s area featured plants in a large rectangular structure at the front of the hospitality area. The area also possessed 23XI-branded tables, cushioned chairs, and high-top chairs and tables. What made it more interesting was a bar-like setup with only non-alcoholic beverages and food served.

In Lauletta’s words, this idea got a great response. He said, “We got a lot of people talking because we had this sort of sophisticated and elevated look. If we’re going to do something, we’re going to do it the best way we can and, again, hopefully a little bit different than everybody else. And different to be our brand. Not just to be different, but to do it in a way that tells everybody why 23XI Racing is what it is.”

In addition to this, Lauletta enlightened more about the team’s goals. In fact, he also explained how 23XI Racing focuses on getting more non-NASCAR fans into the NASCAR arena. He said, “Yeah, we want the core NASCAR fan to want to cheer Tyler and Bubba and our team on, but we also want to be at the forefront of bringing a different fan to the sport.”

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“Whether that’s because they followed Michael Jordan’s career, or they support some of the partners that we have and they’re more casual sports fans that go, ‘Hey, that’s a NASCAR team that I can look after and cheer for.’ And it has been working. Our fan base for 23XI Racing is a little bit different than the traditional NASCAR fan. I think we are balancing both of those and that’s a good place to be.”

While it is an interesting approach, Lauletta had some more amazing news for the 23XI Racing faithful.

Steve Lauletta remains cagey with his words for a third car entry this season

Last year, both Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick managed to finish in the top 12. While it was an amazing achievement, 23XI Racing has never restricted itself from trying out its hand with three cars in select races. With Kamui Kobayashi and Travis Pastrana both being used for the third car last year, a similar expectation is there for 2024.

While news that 23XI Racing has designs for a third car entry has been circulating, Steve Lauletta added some light to it. He said, “Yeah, I think you’ll see an announcement this week. We’re planning on doing a few races again with our third entry. No details to share just yet, but we’re excited.”

Further, Lauletta said, “It’s another step towards us balancing opportunities to have our team that might not go to the racetrack all of the time, to go to the racetrack. It’s a chance to balance the additional work that it will take at Airspeed to prepare a third entry. We feel like it is a good thing for us to continue to do with the right partners and right drivers and you’ll see some of that news coming soon.”

It is indeed exciting to see what Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s team come up with next. With so many positive ideas in their arsenal, 23XI Racing is certainly going to be an exciting watch for the fans in 2024.

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