"What the f***?’ What’s going on?" - Denny Hamlin calls out his 23XI Racing team's poor performance

Denny Hamlin, a vocal driver racing for Joe Gibbs Racing, is not pleased with his newly co-founded 23XI team.

The veteran driver has been experiencing struggles since the start of the season and the team he co-founded with Michael Jordan is also posting poor performances.

The team has only competed in one full season since it was launched in 2020, hiring Bubba Wallace Jr. as its first driver. The team performed at an average level in 2021, securing one win in Talladega.

As NASCAR headed into the 2022 season, Denny Hamlin, alongside his longtime friend and partner, Michael Jordan, decided to expand the team with the aim of conquering this competitive season.

Denny Hamlin brought in Kurt Busch and a new ride, the Toyota Camry No. 45, ahead of the 2022 season.

Hamlin’s 23XI Racing team began the season on a high note, with Bubba Wallace Jr. finishing as the runner-up in the first race of the season. Since then, the No. 23 driver has struggled to get back to his winning ways.

Whiskey Riff posted on Twitter, stating that it has been a rough stretch for the 23XI Racing team.

Following a series of poor performances from the 23XI team, Hamlin has admitted that something needs to be addressed before things get worse.

During NASCAR’s first short-track race at Richmond, where Hamlin emerged as the winner, his teammates recorded a 26th and 35th place finish, respectively, which was disappointing for him despite carrying the checkered flag.

Speaking about his team's performance at Martinsville, the No. 11 driver said:

“Just trying to stop the bleeding there. … The win (last week) was really exciting until you get out of the car and you look down the pylon and say, ‘What the f***?’ What’s going on? It’s agitating. It’s different things on different teams”

On Twitter, Dustin Long asked Hamlin about his team's recent struggles.

He also talked about the No. 23 car as it has been struggling greatly. He said:

“We’re trying to address all the issues that there is. The 23 car pit crew is not doing well.”

Did Denny Hamlin's consultation with the 23XI team work at Martinsville Speedway after a prior poor performance?

Initially, Denny Hamlin issued positive feedback to his team after they posted 38th and 32nd place finishes at COTA. At the time, Hamlin said the struggles faced by 23XI Racing were the same as the struggles faced by Joe Gibbs Racing.

However, after another heartbreaking weekend at Richmond, Hamlin could not sugarcoat his team's poor performance anymore. According to him, he hopes it was just a slight slide and they will return to their winning ways soon.

From the looks of things, their consultation seems to have sired a positive outcome at Martinsville. Kurt Busch managed a top ten finish of 6th place, while Wallace Jr. finished 16th. As per Hamlin, he dropped back into the top 30, finishing 28th.