“They Can’t Get It Right” – Michael Jordan's NASCAR Team Under Scrutiny Again Before Heading to Darlington

“They Can’t Get It Right” – Michael Jordan’s NASCAR Team Under Scrutiny Again Before Heading to Darlington

Sep 3, 2023 | 1:30 PM EDT

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Despite skepticism surrounding the 23XI Racing driver for his performance and place in the Cup Series, Bubba Wallace has silenced the critics, securing a place in the playoffs for the first time. While it did take Wallace three years to reach this milestone, the blame for the not-so-uneventful past years cannot be solely placed on the driver.

The pit crew of the #23 car has seen a consistent source of setbacks for the 29-year-old speedster. This issue isn’t exclusive to Bubba Wallace either, as Tyler Reddick has faced similar challenges. The team has a reputation for making costly mistakes on pit road, ranging from miscalculated pit strategies to mishandling tire changes. Three prominent NASCAR insiders gave their predictions for 23XI, and let’s just say things didn’t look good for them.

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While 2023 season has been significant for team owners Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, a recent podcast of Dirty Mo Dough saw Steve Letarte, The Professor, and Chopper come together to analyze the odds of playoff drivers winning at Darlington. With an impressive showing, Reddick qualified 3rd and therefore expected to have a great start to Sunday’s race.

But looking back at Michigan, Reddick’s car nearly lost its grip on the track and swerved outwards, owing to a loose right-rear wheel, or should we say pit issues?

This happened less than a lap after he had made a pit stop, leading him to limp back to the pit road and drop back to 30th place. Fast forward to today, Professor felt like the pit crew loopholes might have Reddick fall again. Steve Letarte, the ex-HMS Crew Chief, exclaimed, “Why do I think Reddick’s gonna be faster but hit something?” The Professor chimed in to say, “Or have a bad pit stop or two.”

The pit roads are quite long at Darlington and the stop boxes are very small, leaving the drivers no room for errors. Professor sighed and mouthed, “They (23XI pit crew) can’t get it right.”

However, Chopper felt that just based on track finishes, Reddick would easily dominate. He admitted, “It’s Reddick by the numbers. Track finishes; it’s like 5 to 1!” Guess what! Chopper was right as he gained a place to eventually finish P2. Things, however, were not this great for his teammate Bubba Wallace. Not only did he finish P7, but also got embroiled in a controversy.

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Bubba Wallace rebuked his pit crew: “We’ll never get a chance”

Back in May this year, the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte witnessed Bubba Wallace receiving a Stage 2 penalty for equipment interference. Despite reaching the P10 after lap 207 in Stage 3, the McDonald’s sponsored driver dropped to P4.

Wallace had great speed but because he failed pre-race inspection twice along with the pit stall mishaps, the #23 driver fell short of bagging the win. Wallace pulled no punches as he bashed his team and radioed, “All we’re doing is just killing ourselves. We’ll never get a chance to see Victory Lane if we keep f*cking up.”

This, however, didn’t sit well with fans as they reverted back. Someone said, “Bubba Wallace needs a bumper sticker on the back of all his racecars that says CRYBABY ON BOARD.” While another said, “And he runs out of talent once again. Has no business running at the cup level.”

A hater on Twitter upped the notch and questioned Bubba Wallace’s credibility as a Cup Series driver: “Let me correct you @BubbaWallace all you’re doing is showing your lack of talent. You’re a mid-tier driver at best. Face it.”