There is only one playoff round left before the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion is crowned at Phoenix. Eight drivers remain in the hunt for the title, and four will be eliminated before the final race. The internet is rife with predictions by fans and insiders about the final four. One of the biggest underdogs is Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing team. But the #11 driver has recently given hope to the NBA legend. The championship is still a few weeks away and it would be unwise to count anyone out.

Denny Hamlin himself is one of the favorites to win the Cup Series championship. Over the course of his long and illustrious career, the #11 driver has achieved a lot. Winning races has never been an issue for the 42-year-old but the one thing he has yet to win is the Cup Series. Hamlin has come close to claiming the gold multiple times in the past, but this time, he looks stronger than ever.

Denny Hamlin, Michael Jordan’s driver backs himself to go the distance

It was not exactly Denny Hamlin who gave Michael Jordan and 23XI Racing hope for the remainder of the playoffs. In fact, it was one of their drivers. 2023 has been a good season for the Toyota team. They got both of their drivers into the playoffs and one of them is still in the hunt for a maiden Cup Series championship win.

Bubba Wallace crashed out of the playoffs in the final race of the round of 12 last Sunday. He perhaps would have made it through had it not been for a late collision and NASCAR slapping him with a contentious penalty. But all is not lost for Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.

With two wins to his name already, Tyler Reddick is a dark horse going into the round of 8. The 27-year-old really has come into his own this year. Reddick has impressed fans across the country with his race craft this season and there are quite a few people rooting for him, including himself.

In a recent video released by NASCAR, Tyler Reddick could be seen playing a game of Connect Four with his boss Denny Hamlin. At one point during the game, Hamlin asked his driver to predict the championship four.

“Predict the championship 4, don’t get this wrong,” Hamlin said.

“19, 24, 11, and I’d be stupid to not give myself a chance at least,” Reddick replied.

The 23XI driver chose himself, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and William Byron to be the final four at the Phoenix Raceway. Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs will both hope that Tyler Reddick’s prediction comes true. Having one less Hendrick Motorsports car in the contention will definitely be a sweet deal as far as they are concerned.

Tyler Reddick’s impressive performances have been rewarded by Michael Jordan. In the first race of the round of 8, the #45 will have an absolutely stunning paint job which sent fans into a frenzy.

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Michael Jordan reveals special paint job for Las Vegas race

Michael Jordan has never been shy of flaunting his Air Jordan brand in NASCAR with his out-of-this-world paint schemes. But this one is just that special. The #45 will have a paint scheme inspired by the Retro Jordan 8.

The body of the car will remain black with multiple colors adorning it. The combination looks absolutely gorgeous! Regardless of the car being fast, the #45 will undoubtedly be the most stunning car on the grid. As usual, the ‘Jumpman’ logo will be present on the hood and on the sides of the car.

But will Tyler Reddick be able to pull off a stunning result in a stunning car? Remember, no one really gave the #45 driver much of a chance going into the playoffs. But the 27-year-old stunned everyone by winning at Kansas in the round of 16. Will he be able to pull something similar off in the next three races? Let us know your thoughts.

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