Wallace reveals what makes Jordan a great NASCAR team owner

Michael Jordan. Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

Bubba Wallace reveals what makes Michael Jordan a great NASCAR team owner

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Apr 17, 2026 3:43 PM ET

In case it wasn't clear that six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan is a competitive individual, his ownership of a NASCAR Cup Series team, 23XI Racing, should be all the evidence one needs to decipher that Jordan loves the spirit of competition.

As 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace explains, it's Jordan's fiery, competitive nature that has contributed so much to 23XI's success. In just its sixth season, Wallace's teammate, Tyler Reddick, leads the Cup Series standings and has won four of the first eight races, with Wallace sitting eighth in the Cup standings.

"Having him in your corner, I don't know if you could ask for a better person," Wallace said of Jordan in a Friday interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Wallace was the team's first driver in 2021 and has won three races during his tenure with the organization.

@BubbaWallace is happy to have an owner like Michael Jordan in his corner.

"Having somebody like him that understands what it's like to be competitive to start but also understands the nature of the sport and how tough it is."

Full Interview → https://t.co/MKhd9eLpQA pic.twitter.com/PXW3Qsvq0O
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) April 17, 2026

"I appreciate having everything readily accessible for me to go out and be competitive," Wallace said, "And having somebody like him that understands what it's like to be competitive but also understands the nature of the sport and how tough it is."

Bubba Wallace looking for Kansas win

While Reddick has understandably taken up much of the spotlight this season, Wallace is off to one of the best starts of his career. The ninth race of the season at Kansas Speedway on Sunday (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) could be his opportunity to break through and get to victory lane for the first time in 2026.

Kansas has arguably been 23XI's best track in the organization's short Cup Series history. Kurt Busch won at the track in the spring of 2022 with Wallace winning in the fall of that same year, while Reddick won at the 1.5-mile oval in the fall of 2024.

Wallace should have plenty of motivation going into the weekend. He finished fifth at Kansas in the fall of 2025 after contact with Denny Hamlin, the other co-owner of 23XI, allowed Chase Elliott to slip under both Wallace and Hamlin and steal the victory.

WHAT A FINISH. CHASE ELLIOTT GETS BY BUBBA WALLACE AND DENNY HAMLIN TO WIN AT KANSAS! pic.twitter.com/QkSw4rSWt2
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) September 28, 2025

That win would've catapulted Wallace to the penultimate round of the 2025 NASCAR playoffs.

In the new Chase format, a win no longer guarantees a postseason berth. But for Wallace and the No. 23 team, it would be the cherry on top of what has been a solid first quarter of the 2026 season, especially if Jordan is there to celebrate with his driver.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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