‘It’s big on a lot of levels,’ Denny Hamlin on Kurt Busch securing the first win for 23X1 Racing, co-owned by him and Michael Jordon, this season


‘It’s big on a lot of levels,’ Denny Hamlin on Kurt Busch securing the first win for 23X1 Racing, co-owned by him and Michael Jordon, this season

Denny Hamlin alongside Kurt Busch and No;45 team at Kansas podium

Kansas outing for Denny Hamlin without a doubt was the best race day Denny Hamlin had so far this season, including his surprising Richmond win. Denny Hamlin isn’t just a NASCAR driver anymore as the veteran is now the minor co-owner of  23X1 Racing alongside basketball legend Michael Jordon. He has been an active and positive presence in the 23X1 Grange amidst the struggles he was having in his No:11 Joe Gibbs Car and the roller-coaster season for his owned team.

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The 23X1 Racing was able to get a hold of their season at Kansas after Kurt Busch dominated the race and kept his resilience at the end to reclaim the lead and win the race topping the Kyle duo of reigning Cup champion Kyle Larson and Kurt’s younger brother Kyle Busch. Denny Hamlin has been having one of his disappointing starts of the Cup Series season and finished P4 making his way to the top from P18 at the start. Bubba Wallace finished P10 in the race after surviving two pit-road penalties.

The race didn’t go as easy as planned for the 23X1 team as their Pit-stop struggles continued in Kansas as well as Bubba Wallace’s incredible speed wasn’t able to provide him with a higher finish thanks to the two pit-road penalties he incurred and  Kurt Busch’s whole chance of winning was put in jeopardy by a pit-road mishap by the No:45 crew.

Now Denny Hamlin who joined the 23X1 team in their post-race celebration acknowledged in his interview with the press that he feels Kurt Busch’s win is the biggest event so far for the team and they as owners have so far been less productive in giving the drivers a good pit crew.

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Also read: ‘I did my best but came up one spot short,’ Kyle Larson on finishing P2 in Kansas behind veteran Kurt Busch

Find out what Denny Hamlin said

Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin acknowledged that the Kurt Busch win in Kansas is very big for them at many different levels and the fact that it’s the first race with the Jordon brand on the hood is huge. He went on to say he rates this win bigger than Bubba Wallace’s last season’s win at Darlington as he finds this one more surprising. Denny Hamlin said that the 23X1 Racing team has been getting better and better at every race in the last three weeks.

Yeah, it’s big on a lot of levels. Obviously Jordan Brand is their very first race. It’s just huge. I said it when Bubba won last year how huge it was. This is obviously a big one. It’s one that’s surprising, but not because I’ve seen over the last three weeks this team just continues to get better and better and better,” Denny Hamlin said.

The JGR driver went on to say that actually has let his drivers down in terms of what they were able to provide for them in the pit road as Denny Hamlin believes that his tea, failed to give drivers a solid chance this year at winning. Denny Hamlin went on to say the No:23 and 45 cars have been outperforming what they have given them in the pit road and now it all came together good for them.  He went on to acknowledge that both of the cars were fast around the track and he is happy about the three finishing in the Top 10 alongside a win.

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And truthfully, I’ve kind of let them down with what we had on pit road, and we haven’t given the drivers honestly an honest chance this year. In a race track position means everything, they’ve been outperforming what we’ve given them on pit road, and so today it all came together. I thought both cars were extremely fast. The 23 was very fast. I was around them all day. Yeah, two top ten and a win. We’ll take it,” added Denny Hamlin.

Also read: ‘Congrats 23XI on your 1st actual race win,’ NASCAR Twitter reacts to Kurt Busch winning the Kansas cup race toping Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson

Also read: ‘Race like the GOAT,’ Kurt Busch wins the Kansas Cup Race by topping the ‘Kyle and Kyle show’