Michael Jordan is joining co-owner Denny Hamlin, three-time Daytona 500 champion.
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP) – Bubba Wallace was more a Michael Jordan fan of “Space Jam” than watching the NBA.
He was just a kid when Jordan was at his peak with Chicago, so it seemed natural that Wallace was more captivated by MJ playing basketball with Bugs Bunny and Daffy than with the Bulls.
Jordan was a pitchman, an NBA team owner and a tequila connoisseur – and on Sunday, with Wallace at the wheel, he made his official debut as a NASCAR team owner with 23XI Racing on the Daytona 500.
Jordan and team co-owner Denny Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 champion, may be more nervous than Wallace on the eve of NASCAR’s biggest race.
“It’s very comical,” said Wallace The Associated Press on Saturday. “It’s like their son is running, I don’t know. I’m like, you’re nervous, I’m here ready to go. “
Wallace, 27, answered numerous questions about what Jordan was like since the team’s formation was announced last year.
It was kind of hard to answer: because of the coronavirus pandemic, Jordan and Wallace never met. Jordan, who has won six NBA championships over the course of a career in the Hall of Fame, arrived in town this week and was spotted playing golf at a country club.
Wallace was stunned when he met the man responsible for leading the Tune Squad in his freedom with a last-minute victory over the Monstars in the 1996 movie. Wallace, Hamlin and Jordan filmed a promotion scheduled to air on Sunday by Fox before the race .
“When he came into the room it was like, ‘Oh wow, this is real,'” said Wallace.
It’s time to check the gut.
Wallace is the only black full-time driver at the top NASCAR level, and in June he successfully convened the series to ban the display of Confederate flags on race tracks. His activism caught the attention of corporate America, which raised enough funds through five companies to sponsor the entire World Cup season.
Wallace has spent the past three seasons driving the iconic No. 43 of Richard Petty Motorsports, a team that struggled to compete at the highest levels due to sponsorship problems. As Wallace’s profile expanded, he was able to raise funds that were linked to him and move with him.
Wallace did not win in 112 career Cup matches, all in RPM. His second place in the 2018 Daytona 500 was the best finish for a black driver in the race.
Wallace showed speed at the 23rd Toyota – yes, the old Jordan Bulls number – at Speedweeks and led the only practice session this week. It starts on the sixth Sunday and even Hamlin, who drives for rival Joe Gibbs Racing, may want to switch cars.
“Our car is super fast. It is one of the fastest cars in the garage, ”said Wallace.
No plan was perfect in the midst of the pandemic.
The Daytona 500 is usually a who’s who for trying to locate actors, musicians and other famous athletes, who circle the starting grid and create a party scene like no other in the sport.
NASCAR fans and the media reportedly surrounded Wallace’s car in the final hour before the race, hoping to have a look or a photo with Jordan. But the COVID-19 protocols will prevent Jordan from looking in box 23.
“With COVID, it has been a drag,” said 23XI crew chief Mike Wheeler.
Wheeler appreciated the advantages of working for Jordan – like having the best gifts (“our beautiful shoes, sophisticated equipment”) in the garage.
But MJ will still find a spot on the Daytona International Speedway.
“He’s also humble enough to say, ‘OK, fine. I’ll stay outside, ‘”said Wheeler. “I think he wants to go next week to sit in the pix box. But this week here is in Daytona watching from the suites. “
Scott is still the only black driver to win a World Cup race. Wallace won six times in the Truck Series and knows – relaxed or not in front of Jordan – that it is time to win.
“I just know the opportunity is there and what is at stake,” said Wallace.