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Kurt Busch will start the new season with the youngest racing team in NASCAR, 23XI Racing. The team was founded in September 2020 by basketball legend Michael Jordan and accomplished NASCAR driver, Denny Hamlin.
The veteran driver and Jordan seem to be close, on and off-track, and are always in consultation on what is needed. This was reflected in their textual conversation after the Clash at LA Coliseum.
In a video by Fox, he disclosed what Jordan told him after the race. In the video, subsequently tweeted by Bob Pockrass, Busch said:
“Happened with the Coliseum and us not showing the race that we wanted to show there. I texted him afterwards with a Charles Barkley GIF, it was where he goes, ‘Terrible, terrible’. So I texted that to MJ, just kind of to clear the air, like ‘you can get with me anytime and you’re gonna get a straight up honest answer’. And he said, ‘What are you gonna do to fix it?’ I said, ‘I’m headed to the race shop tomorrow morning, simulator Wednesday. Our work is never done here.’”
The two met last year in Sonoma, California, where they discussed in-depth the growth of the organization. According to Busch, Jordan is a cool guy and he believes together they are going to win.
Meanwhile, 23XI Racing has been growing rapidly. Starting with one car in the 2021 season, they announced the expansion of the team, adding one more car before the end of the season. As part of their growth, they needed an experienced and skilled driver and found Kurt Busch to be the right fit for the position.
Speaking to NBC about their meeting, he said:
“And then to meet with MJ [Michael Jordan] and to learn his passion for motorsport, and to see it right away like, this is awesome, and we’ve got some work to do. And this is a chapter in my career where I’m building a team from the ground up, and that’s something I wanted to challenge myself with.”
Denny Hamlin, the co-owner of the racing team, also admitted that bringing a driver with Busch’s caliber on board will be a plus for the team. The 43-year-old will start the season with the 23XI team joining another skilled driver, Bubba Wallace Jr., who has been with the team for the entire last season. Kurt Busch will be driving Toyota #45 for the rest of the season.
Kurt Busch's career achievements
Kurt Busch is one of the most successful drivers in NASCAR history, with several trophies to his credit. He has been in the game for almost two decades and, in this stint, he has much to be proud of, including the 2004 Cup Series Championship.
Speaking of Busch’s achievement, they are well-documented and can be easily traced. He has a record of winning the Xfinity Series five times and the Camping World Truck Series four times. In 2010, he won the Coca-Cola 600, followed by his most cherished race win, Daytona 500, in 2017.
Being one of the longest serving NASCAR drivers, Kurt Busch has 33 wins on his list, 331 top-ten finishes and 28 poles. This season, he will still be looking for more wins to add to his tally, including the upcoming Daytona 500 on February 20. He will be racing against his younger brother Kyle Busch, who recently retired from Xfinity Series.
