A new NASCAR Cup Series season brings new energy and optimism to the No. 23 camp. Bubba Wallace and his team can bury the hatchet on their past performance and focus on a new challenge. This was evident from the production day vibe, and Wallace was indeed in a cheerful mood. It was more than just a production day for Bubba Wallace, as he also participated in a Q&A session via social media.

Now, we have seen the driver aim a sarcastic dig against his owner, Michael Jordan, before, and it looks like he is back on those shenanigans. This time around, he has made a bold claim that he might be able to get the better of MJ in a fighting contest.

Bubba Wallace has a trick up his sleeve to defeat the mighty Jordan

During the Q&A session on Instagram, one fan put Wallace in the spot with a trick question. Would you rather fight Tyler Reddick or Michael Jordan? Now we all know Tyler Reddick isn’t the most intimidating driver at just 5.5 ft, meanwhile, the NBA legend stands tall at 6.6 ft. Knowing that he might have a better chance of winning in a bout against his teammate, Wallace made the most of this situation and trolled MJ.

“That’s a good one; I feel like Tyler be scrappy. If you just punched MJ in his kneecaps, he would go down. So I’ll go MJ.” Bubba Wallace replied while laughing uncontrollably. Well, Wallace has got his facts right and chose his opponent strategically. Michael Jordan had surgery on his right knee to repair a torn cartilage. He had also banged his knee against his teammate Etan Thomas, which added to his woes.

The injury was initially diagnosed as tendinitis, and he had to drain fluids from his knee to avoid swelling and pain. Moreover, Jordan also later developed a bone spur as a result of it, making his knee situation quite painful. Well, Wallace certainly did his homework and came prepared to fight MJ if a fighting contest was arranged. A lot of NASCAR fans would pay to watch this bout; after all, flying punches and brawls isn’t something new to NASCAR fans.

Jokes apart, Wallace and the #23 are in dire need of revival after the disappointments of 2024. In a bid to overturn the misfortunes of the team, 23XI Racing relieved Bootie Barker of his duties and brought in Charles Denike as the new crew chief.

Major overhaul done to the #23 team to help Wallace get back to speed

Bubba Wallace might not have had the best of the 2024 campaign, but 23XI Racing as a whole unit achieved their goals. Tyler Reddick and the #45 team initially won the regular season championship, and continuing this good run, they even reached the championship race in Phoenix. This was the first Final 4 appearance for 23XI Racing after Reddick pulled off a clutch win at Miami Homestead on the last lap to steal a win from Ryan Blaney.

Reflecting on the failure of the last two seasons, Bubba Wallace made a candid remark on X. He said, “Excited for this season to get underway. Took it upon myself to be better and do better. Got my ass kicked the last 2 seasons, plain and simple. No shame in saying that. Using it as motivation. I’ve been rocking the “just get by” mentality for too long.” 

Both teams #23 and #45 almost had similar plans and access to resources. There were times they even rolled out with the same setup, but for some reason, Wallace would draw blanks. This is where the higher-ups within the team felt that No. 23 needed an overhaul, and they did it by adding a new crew chief. Barker will remain within the team and transition into his new role to help prepare the cars and strategize for races.

Denike comes from a Truck Series background, and he will have to fill in big shoes at 23XI Racing. Although he has nine Truck Series wins, the pressure of leading a top-tier Cup Series outfit could get the better of him. So it will be interesting to see how quickly the driver and the crew chief can form a chemistry and deliver the goods on the track.