Not many expected Michael Jordan to succeed when he joined the Cup Series in 2021. While his expertise lies in the NBA arena, his alliance with Denny Hamlin has been a fruitful venture, to say the least. In fact, his influence has been a major factor in encouraging some of his NBA colleagues to try out their hand in NASCAR. One such event involves Stewart-Haas Racing promoting Caitlin Clark at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

As the Cup Series prepared for the Brickyard 400, there were several things to look forward to. With the 2024 regular season getting closer to its end, plenty was at stake. That said, the race in Indianapolis involved a special promotion from Josh Berry and SHR. While Caitlin Clark is making all the headlines in the NBA arena, she attracted a lot more attention on Sunday.

Has Michael Jordan given NASCAR a new dimension since his involvement with 23XI Racing?

In today’s time, NASCAR has suffered severe criticism, with the sport accused of losing its charm. While viewership numbers haven’t been in the ruling body’s favor, interest from elsewhere speaks otherwise. This Sunday, Panini America was the primary sponsor of the #4 Ford Mustang, driven by Josh Berry. In line with this, Berry’s car sported a paint scheme featuring WNBA starlet Caitlin Clark.

Currently, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver leads the race for the NASCAR Cup Series rookie-of-the-year award. Interestingly, at the same time, Caitlin Clark is challenging for the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award. As per reports, Caitlin Clark has a net worth of $3.8 million and is one of the biggest names in women’s basketball right now.

While Panini America has an exclusive partnership with Clark, they remain the trading card partner of NASCAR. Given the dynamics, Berry’s hood sported an image of Caitlin Clark from her Iowa Hawkeye days. This decision came after Panini America released a collection involving Clark featuring a “Raining 3s” design.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first NBA-NASCAR tie-up in recent times. Earlier this month, billionaire and former co-owner of NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks Marc Lasry grabbed a minority stake in Trackhouse Entertainment Group, founded by Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks. Specifically, Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund took a stake in Marks’ company.

NASCAR and the NBA have enjoyed a good partnership with Cleveland Cavaliers legend Brad Daugherty, a co-owner of JTG Daughtery Racing in the Cup Series. However, the biggest turnaround seems to have come after Michael Jordan came into the NASCAR scenario. While the six-time NBA champion has motivated others to follow in his footsteps, Caitlin Clark’s promotion at the Brickyard 400 certainly showcased how the NBA has made its presence felt in NASCAR.

In all honesty, all the NBA traction has come since Jordan joined. After all, he is so much more than just a celebrity co-owner in NASCAR.

Michael Jordan joining NASCAR has been a game-changer for the sport

In today’s world, being a Cup Series team owner demands a lot of work. Not that it didn’t earlier, but with the dynamics changing very often in the competition, the owners need to be proactive with their decisions. Luckily, 23XI Racing has not just Denny Hamlin but also Michael Jordan, who has been equally important in taking the team to new heights.

While Hamlin has his Joe Gibbs Racing commitments to handle simultaneously, having Jordan beside him has made a ton of difference. Michael Jordan’s keen interest in the sport has certainly made a huge impact on his team members as well. Earlier in April 2024, Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass highlighted how Jordan remains involved in the functioning of 23XI Racing despite his celebrity status.

As disclosed by Pockrass, Tyler Reddick’s crew chief, Billy Scott, disclosed Jordan’s dedication. He said, “I was talking to him before the race, and he watches every truck race, every Xfinity race, every Cup race just trying to learn and understand what we’re going through and figure out how he can help from the owner’s side. It’s impressive.”

During the launch of 23XI Racing in 2021, Jordan said, “My passion drives me more than the financials. So if I invest or not invest, I’m going to call Denny each and every Sunday to ask him what the hell is he doing? Is he going to win today? What happened on that turn? I’ve been a fan for so long. And I’m always going to be that. Making money or losing money, I’m going to be a fan of NASCAR. This is authenticity in the making for me that I’m involved in something that I truly, truly love and I wake up each and every weekend looking forward to each and every race.”

Naturally, such passion was bound to inspire more people already influenced by Jordan. If the great Michael Jordan remains invested in NASCAR, there has to be something very attractive about the sport. While other NBA entities have been associated with NASCAR before, none of them has made an impact as effectively as MJ.

Amazingly, there’s still plenty to come from 23XI Racing, with the team growing in stature year after year. With Reddick and Wallace both finishing in the top 5 at the Brickyard 400, the team has yet again proved itself. It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Reddick was the one leading the race in Phoenix. And also, you never know if more NBA entities will become a part of NASCAR in the near future. Stay tuned!