Denny Hamlin Brands Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard 400 as The “Next Step for 23XI racing”

Denny Hamlin believes that Bubba Wallace's stellar victory at the Brickyard 400 will help 23XI Racing go to a whole other level in NASCAR.

Denny Hamlin Brands Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard 400 as The “Next Step for 23XI racing”

Bubba Wallace (via AP), Denny Hamlin (via Getty)

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Bubba Wallace proved all the haters wrong and achieved an extremely impressive victory at the Brickyard 400. Wallace ended his 100-race winless streak following a dramatic win at the iconic Indianapolis circuit. The #23 driver made all the difference on track and clinched the victory for 23XI Racing after a very long time. As such, the team’s co-owner, Denny Hamlin, opens up on the 31-year-old’s achievement on Sunday and lauds the latter with massive praise.

The 23XI Racing team is currently undergoing a difficult time in NASCAR as the antitrust lawsuit against the sport has caused the team to lose its charter status. Despite continuous disappointing updates in their case, Bubba Wallace has showcased resilience and hasn’t let the situations dictate his performance on track. Now, Denny Hamlin asserts that the team is prepared to go to the next step and take 23XI to a whole other level following Wallace’s stellar Indy win.

Denny Hamlin revealed that he had a chat with 23XI Racing’s other co-owner, Michael Jordan, about Bubba Wallace’s stellar victory at Indy. Hamlin further pointed out that the Indianapolis circuit was a testament to a driver and team’s capabilities. The JGR veteran reckoned that it was purely a showcase of the teams and their engine’s potential, whereas the current situation with next-gen cars was much different.

Yeah, I talked about it. It’s the next step for the team. I always thought that this racetrack was always a showcase of driver, team, engine, all the things. It just was. It was. It was a showcase of that. 

Denny Hamlin said via Frontstretch

Denny Hamlin clarified that the current generation of cars had a much different performance on the Indy track. However, the 44-year-old reckoned that when it came to Qualifying, there weren’t many differences in performance between the drivers as the top scorers were still dominant in pace. Still, for Bubba Wallace to come in and dominate the entire grid was extremely impressive for 23XI Racing, as Hamlin highlighted that Indianapolis brought out the best performance from the drivers.

“Now, obviously, with the Next Gen car, it’s a little bit different. But when it comes to qualifying — and even in the race — look at it. It was all the top drivers that you see every week running up front there. It always brings out the best — the best drivers and the best teams.

Denny Hamlin added.

Denny Hamlin labels Bubba Wallace’s Indy win as ‘super valuable’

23XI Racing’s performance in the 2025 season has been mediocre at best, as they haven’t achieved a race win before Bubba Wallace’s win at Indy. As such, the team was suffering from a spell of poor performances, as Wallace’s victory might freshen things up within the squad. Now, Denny Hamlin christens the 31-year-old’s race win with an impressive title, especially for the team as a whole.

Bubba Wallace's Brickyard 400 win (via AP)
Bubba Wallace’s Brickyard 400 win (via AP)

Denny Hamlin pointed out that a race win was long overdue for 23XI Racing, as Bubba Wallace finally broke the spell and won it for the team. The #23 driver has also locked his spot in the playoffs as his hunt for the championship will now begin. Finally, the JGR veteran labeled Wallace’s victory at Indy as super valuable to the team.

So this is our first win of the season — our only win. For it to come for the No. 23 team, while they’re in a battle for a playoff spot, that’s big for them. And for the team overall, these things are super valuable for us.

Denny Hamlin noted.

The 2025 playoffs are right around the corner, as 12 drivers have locked in their spots for the championship battle. With the Brickyard 400 done and dusted, just five races are left in the regular Cup Series as four spots are up for grabs for the playoffs. Bubba Wallace would just soak in his dominant victory for now, as he is likely to return with the same momentum in the remaining races.

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