For now, 23XI Racing is on top of the NASCAR world

Building a NASCAR Cup Series organization is an incredibly difficult feat. Building one capable of winning is a different kind of accomplishment altogether. 

Yet, in the early stages of 23XI Racing's sixth NASCAR Cup Series season, it finds itself 1-2 in the points standings with drivers Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace and undefeated on the year after Reddick won Sunday's Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway and became the first driver since Matt Kenseth in 2009 to start a season with two straight wins. 

23XI is no longer the new kid on the block. It's not the wise old man down the street, either, but is has proven that it can win and run up front on a consistent basis.

"This team being nonexistent six years ago is just amazing that we’re able to do what we did with building this thing from scratch and now having the results week in, week out that is contending with the big guys," 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin said Sunday. 

One of Hamlin's partners in the venture of owning a Cup Series team is NBA legend and Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who celebrated Reddick's Daytona 500 victory one week ago and was on-hand in Hampton, Ga., again on Sunday to celebrate with his team.

"Tyler did an unbelievable job," Jordan said. "Both teams did an unbelievable job. I wanted him to win. I feel bad for Bubba, obviously, because he had an unbelievable day, but Tyler drove his a-- off, and I’m very happy for Tyler. I’m very happy for 23XI.

"The guys worked hard all summer. I know we had our little ordeal, but they never gave up. They kept working hard, and this is the fruit of their labor. You know, they put forth the effort, and for us to come out and win the first two races says a lot about our whole team."

23XI comes out of lawsuit smelling like a rose

The "little ordeal" Jordan mentioned was a highly publicized lawsuit that 23XI, along with Front Row Motorsports, levied against NASCAR in October 2024. It went to trial in December 2025, where it eventually reached a settlement that included permanent charters for Cup Series teams moving forward.

Even after one of the biggest possible distractions over the early part of the offseason, 23XI is hitting its stride early in 2026.

"I think a lot of it’s the culture, the communication, just the open honesty that comes from the top down, starting with the ownership and what Michael and Denny both preach to us and what they expect, but also the advice and the camaraderie that we all carry," said Billy Scott, who serves as crew chief for Reddick and the No. 45 team. "I think we all just hold each other accountable right now, and everyone is certainly pulling rope in the same direction."

For the second straight week, Wallace won Stage 2 and led plenty of laps. He spent 46 laps out front on Sunday afternoon and was leading with two laps to go before he was shuffled out of the top spot.

The biggest takeaway from Sunday's race is that 23XI has the speed, equipment and personnel to be a consistent contender not just for race wins, but for championships moving forward.

There's a specific cause for that, and one that could persist if 23XI lets it.

"It’s just momentum," Hamlin said. "Momentum is a big thing in this sport. Sometimes when you get it going, it’s hard to stop."

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.