Michael Jordan was known for his tenacity on the court, as it helped people around him to raise their level. A similar shift can be observed in the 23 XI Racing, as under his ownership, the team has soon elevated into becoming one of the best in NASCAR. Finally, an opposition driver has shared his feelings about having Michael Jordan in the NASCAR garage.
On the Outta Pocket podcast, one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, Chase Elliott, admitted to things that stand out about Jordan owning a NASCAR team.
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“To me, the coolest part about him is his genuine joy that he gets from racing is so childlike, I love it,” said Elliott. “I also think it’s a little bit of a competitive thing for him. Like, he’s a super competitor, and he wants to win. And I think that our sport loves that. I think our sport needs that.”
Initially, there were a lot of doubts about Jordan owning a NASCAR team. This was mainly because people around the sport thought that this would be just another financial avenue for him, but he has since proven everyone wrong.
“I think the biggest thing that works for Michael being involved is that he is being true to himself by being a part of our sport becausehe loves it that much,” said Elliott. “I think that’s why it works. And I think that’s why they’re doing well, too.”
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To Chase Elliott’s point, Michael Jordan’s passion for NASCAR has been more evident than ever. Be it the post-race scenes from Tyler Reddick’s Daytona 500 win, the win at Atlanta, or the one at COTA, Jordan has not only been present for those races, but he also didn’t hold back on his delight at getting what he truly craves for, winning.
The Last Dance docu-series centered around his Chicago Bulls era proved that whether it is a game of basketball or a coin-flipping banter, Jordan just wants to win. His competitiveness is even reflected in the popularity of the ‘And I took that seriously’ meme from the docu-series.
This is not Jordan’s first time owning a sports team. He was involved in the ownership group as part of the Charlotte Hornets, but things did not work out well there. With NASCAR, it seems like Jordan is serious about winning. Interestingly, Jordan and NASCAR go way back to his team ownership era. He would attend races as a fan in the 1980s and the 1990s while being a top basketball player in the NBA. It was only in 2021 that he officially became part of the sport he had been a fan of for years and years.
Is Michael Jordan’s presence helping NASCAR’s visibility?
It surely helps NASCAR that Jordan has been present in almost every race this season, and clips of him celebrating a race win passionately, of which there have been many, are prone to make waves on the internet.
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He showed how engaged he is in helping NASCAR when he became the face of the lawsuit against NASCAR. Jordan’s effort proved to be successful as they won the lawsuit, and it led to a lot of changes in NASCAR at the leadership level.
Then there’s the fact that Jordan’s clout is following NASCAR. After all, if Jordan is present at racetracks, the cameras and mics would be following him. This was evident last month when CBS host Gayle King attended the Cup race at Phoenix and shot a feature involving Jordan.
All of these major factors are enough to suggest that, yes, Michael Jordan’s involvement in NASCAR is helping the sport’s cause in becoming mainstream again. Having failed to succeed as an owner in the NBA, Jordan would not want the same outcome to repeat itself in NASCAR. His driver, Tyler Reddick, has started the 2026 season well, and if all goes as planned, Reddick could help Jordan secure his first Cup Series win as an owner.
