23XI Racing, co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, made history by achieving a front-row sweep in NASCAR Cup Series qualifications at COTA. Tyler Reddick took pole position, with Bubba Wallace finishing second. Their collaborative strategy and improvements led to this significant achievement for the team, which has evolved impressively since its founding.
23XI Racing, co-founded by NBA icon Michael Jordan and seasoned NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, made headlines at the Circuit of the Americas by achieving a remarkable front-row sweep in qualifications for the NASCAR Cup Series. Tyler Reddick secured the pole position, clocking a time of 1 minute, 38.076 seconds at an average speed of 88.095 mph, marking his second career pole at COTA and his tenth in the series.
Reddick’s teammate, Bubba Wallace, finished close behind, taking second place just 0.224 seconds slower. Both drivers effectively utilized a shared strategy, with Reddick aiding Wallace’s performance around the challenging 17-turn road course.
Tyler Reddick expressed concerns about potentially affecting Wallace’s qualifying run, admitting, “I was worried I screwed his lap up, but he was worried that he screwed my lap up.” Behind the scenes, teamwork was critical; Reddick acknowledged the hard work put into improving the No. 45 Toyota’s performance before qualifying.
Reflecting on the day, Reddick said, “Obviously, we didn’t have the fire off lap we were wanting… so, just really glad the day went like it did, it’s going to be great track position for us tomorrow.” Wallace acknowledged Reddick’s mentorship, stating how much the Toyota team relies on Reddick’s insights during road courses.
Chase Elliott claimed third place, while the rest of the top ten included Carson Hocevar, Daniel Suarez, Shane van Gisbergen, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, and Todd Gilliland. Additionally, Connor Zilisch, at only 18, marked his NASCAR Cup Series debut, qualifying 14th in the No. 87 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet.
23XI Racing has made a significant stride in the NASCAR Cup Series with its front-row qualifying sweep at COTA, showcasing the team’s rapid growth since its inception in 2020. With Tyler Reddick’s pole position and valuable insights, alongside Bubba Wallace’s collaboration, the team illustrates a promising trajectory in the highly competitive landscape of NASCAR.
Original Source: www.newsweek.com
