Denny Hamlin explains logic behind naming 23XI Racing’s $16,000,000 NASCAR facility with Michael Jordan

Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan co-owned 23XI Racing is relocating to a new facility, named 'Airspeed'. The team has adopted the unique moniker for the shop, on a similar line to the organization's name.

The shop name is derived from two words, each associated with the two owners. The NBA legend's iconic Air Jordan brand lends the first word, while Hamlin lends the second term 'speed' from his racing background.

In a recent interview with Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass, Hamlin explained the relevance of the shop name. He said:

"We could call it ‘Bob's Garage' but we're doing a little more than building Bob's garage. Airspeed is just a combination [of words] very similar to 23XI — 23 is him, XI (11) is me; Airspeed is air [for] him, speed [for] me."

"We just feel like that is a good identity for that building. We're building fast cars. Anybody can call their building a shop, but we are pretty confident that this is ‘Airspeed' worthy."

Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan's new race shop is reportedly worth around $16 million and is located on the main Charlotte highway (I-77). The 114,000-square-foot shop is a state-of-the-art facility, tailor-made for NASCAR's next-gen car production.

The new facility for 23XI Racing essentially serves as an assembly line, with a streamlined workflow. Now located closer to its ally, Joe Gibbs Racing, Hamlin indicated that production efficiency would be improved. He claimed that the team could now build cars a day sooner, compared to the build time at its previous facility.

Bob Pockrass reported that the building is visible from the highway and the windows on the top floor are angled at 23 degrees. The shop is currently not open to public or media visits, with the team adding the finishing touches to the lobby area. The lobby is expected to contain big interactive screens and a gift shop with exclusive merchandise.

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Denny Hamlin not overreacting to Toyota's dominance at Phoenix

NASCAR's visit to the Phoenix Raceway saw the introduction of the short track package, with the new Toyota Camry XSE emerging as the class of the field. Denny Hamlin and four other Toyota drivers led more than 50 laps in the 312-lap event, while Christopher Bell took the checkered flag.

Despite having a field day at Phoenix Raceway, Hamlin suggested that rival organizations would improve throughout the season. In the latest episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin downplayed the hype surrounding Toyota.

"This is the first time with a new tire and a new package. Teams catch up," he said. "All these teams that struggled maybe ran in the teens, they’re going to make adjustments. They will get better in the next race and the next race. By the time we get the Phoenix in the fall, they’ll have a new identity. So, I wouldn’t overreact to what we saw."

Hamlin added that while the results were encouraging for Toyota, those have to be taken with a 'grain of salt' at the moment.