Michael Jordan, widely reputed as a basketball legend, has become increasingly recognized beyond the hardwood, as his name becomes iconic in the NASCAR world as a co-owner of the 23XI Racing team. This traces back to Jordan's close associations with prominent NASCAR figure Denny Hamlin, but also NBA icon Brad Daugherty.
The journey that heralded Jordan into motorsport was largely credited to his long-time friend, Denny Hamlin, whose enthusiasm for NASCAR was instrumental in sparking Jordan's interest. Yet, Brad Daugherty, a former NBA player, firmly claims a hand in steering Jordan into the scene.
Brad Daugherty, a former star for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been an active NASCAR team owner since 2008. With family ties to drag racing, Daugherty's own move into car racing was an obvious one.
As he reflected on his motorsport history, Daugherty explained:
"Yeah, my family as been around racing my whole life. My uncles, my father, everybody—they were drag racers. So I grew up around race cars... So the NASCAR space I've been around for about 30 years, and own a team for about 20-25 years. So it's a lot of fun; I love hot rods, and I drag Michael into this space now, so he's racing with us."
Interestingly, Daugherty and Jordan's friendship dates back to their days at the University of North Carolina, where mutual friends revealed Jordan's interest for NASCAR despite initially ribbing Daugherty about his supposed "hillbilly" love for the sport. Daugherty fondly recalled:
"Michael gave me a hard time, too, about being a hillbilly. But you know what? He would also sit there and watch with me. He liked it. He always did."
Jordan's entrance into NASCAR in 2021 with the launch of 23XI Racing, co-owned with Denny Hamlin, has undoubtedly brought a fresh view and strong victories to the team. Under his guidance, the racing team claimed a memorable entry into its first-ever championship race in 2024 with driver Tyler Reddick and the #45 team, culminating in an impressive record of eight race wins.
Meanwhile, Daugherty's role within the NASCAR community extended as he continued to foster his racing team, JTG Daugherty Racing. At the end of 2023, Gordon Smith became the principal owner of the team. In 2024, the team underwent a rebranding, becoming Hyak Motorsports. Brad Daugherty, Mark Hughes, and Ernie Cope joined as co-owners alongside Smith. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. remained as the driver of the No. 47 car.
Daugherty shared his enthusiasm about this change:
"I'm really excited about 2025 as our company continues to evolve. Our goal is to compete and win races at the highest level of NASCAR. The name change signifies that commitment and desire to be our very best."
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., whose strong successes include a Daytona 500 victory in 2023 and a subsequent win at Talladega in 2024, continues to steer Hyak Motorsports into 2025. This extension of his tenure promises good things for the team.
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