Is a Cup Championship on the Cards for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing Team in 2024?

In 2020, the 23XI Racing team was born, recruiting Bubba Wallace to spearhead the project in 2021. This team was the brainchild of Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan. Of course, no one really expects a brand-new team to hit the ground running immediately. So the team was cut some slack in the early part of the season. Since then, they have not only improved their performance but have also expanded to a second car.

Come the 2023 NASCAR Cup season, the team enjoyed arguably its best season to date. In its debut season, Bubba Wallace guided the 23XI Racing team to their first career win. By then, the Playoffs were already well underway, so it was too late for him to sneak in. A year later, it was much the same, except he put in more consistent performances, racking up four Top 5 finishes and a race win. But 2023 was probably one of Wallace’s best seasons to date. Here is why.

How has the 2023 season played out for Bubba Wallace?

Sure, he may not have won a race this season, but he did manage to reach the Playoffs for the first time in his career. Although he did not reach very far, the #23 driver managed to finish in a fine 10th place, a career-best for him. All of this was possible, thanks to more consistent performances, namely five Top 10 finishes, including three Top 5s in a row.

He also did enough to at least escape going out in the Round of 16. Sadly, he could not progress beyond the Top 10, but it was still very impressive. On the other side of the fence, teammate Tyler Reddick has also been extremely impressive. As a matter of fact, Reddick picked up two wins during the campaign and ended the year in 6th place. This was truly an incredible performance, considering that this was Reddick’s first season with the team.

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What can 23XI Racing look forward to in 2024?

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It seems Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan struck gold with this line-up. Even Kurt Busch has proven to be invaluable in his brief stint as a driver and as a member of the team itself. With each passing year, the organization is going from strength to strength. In addition to that, they have been serious threats for race wins, and as of 2023, even the championship. Safe to say, both Reddick and Wallace have proven themselves as capable race winners.

With a brand new Toyota car set to make its debut next season, this is a prime opportunity for 23XI Racing to capitalize. For a long time, Joe Gibbs Racing was regarded as the cream of the Toyota crop. If 23XI Racing can get to grips with the new Toyota Camry XSE quicker than anyone else, they could be in the driving seat. With two talented drivers like Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, the team looks to be in good hands.

Given their strong run of form in 2023, the 23XI Racing team could be one to watch out for next season. What makes things even sweeter for Bubba Wallace is the fact that all of his statistics for the 2023 campaign were career highs. 10th is his best-ever finish, he also has a career-best five Top 5s and ten Top 10 finishes, as well as a best-ever 285 laps led. So if he could rack up such a performance, even without winning, imagine what he can do in 2024.

For sure, he and Tyler Reddick will be dark horses for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series championship. However, the other teams are not to be underestimated, especially since many of them will be highly motivated.

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