Denny Hamlin admits Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team’s weaknesses let Tyler Reddick win in Vegas

Las Vegas Motor Speedway sparkled in the desert sun, but for 23XI Racing, the 2024 Pennzoil 400 ended with a painful victory that was nearly declared the winner. And #45 Tyler Reddick Put on a heroic performance and ended up finishing second behind back-to-back Vegas winners Kyle Larsonit could have been a race win for him but for one key factor: a mistake by the 23XI pit crew.

The two-time Xfinity champion’s frustrations echoed throughout his team and NASCAR nation, and his post-race comments highlighted recurring issues “Stupid mistakes on pit road, same thing in different years, right? Like that’s a little bit frustrating, so we’ll keep working on it…” Redick said with great regret.

Co-owner Denny Hamlin highlights Tyler Reddick’s pit crew woes

The dissatisfaction within the No. 45 team gradually reached the ears of 23XI, the three-time Daytona 500 champion. Denny HamlinCompared to his co-star, the multiple NBA champion and Hall of Famer, he plays a larger role in all game-related decisions due to his experience, Michael Jordan.

Hamlin expressed his thoughts on the latest episode of his Toxic Action podcast, which he co-hosts Jared Allen. presented the subject area of ​​Hamlin’s exclusive perspective and stated, “Tyler Reddick said “Stupid pit road mistakes, same shit in different years” and we’ve been discussing pit road issues for years, dating back to JGR servicing the 23XI pit crew hour. “I thought that was a very hateful statement.”

The driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota agreed, saying: “It’s the new team blues and that’s why it’s smart like Justin (Marks), who just bought a team that already has a great pit crew.” Hamlin elaborated on the difficulty of building a pit crew program from scratch while working with Justin Marks, co-owner of Cup Series competitor Trackhouse Racing and global pop icon Pitbull. Around the same time Hamlin’s joint venture with MJ launched in 2020, a team was formed.

Explaining the challenges faced in acquiring experienced personnel as cabin crew and technicians are tied to long-term contracts with existing teams, he said “You know, when I had to do this damn thing from scratch, I had no one. So any really, really good guy was going to be on a long-term deal. These teams locked those guys up for years, so you couldn’t find Anyone… you have to find talent somewhere in the field… or you try to find some young guys who are very inexperienced, it’s just about putting together a team and trying to do this thing on your own Do.”

But as Hamlin’s monologue to his co-host intensified, he delved into the true need for this young organization to work together in the pits.

Not one, but two 23XI race cars face issues in Vegas

Speaking about Allen’s initial inquiry into the long-discussed 23XI pit crew incident, which dates back to the JGR pit crew lease, Hamlin assessed the matter over time against Reddick. negative impact. He sadly declared, “Tyler had at least two or three wins last year that he should have had but he didn’t get a chance because we screwed him up in the pits…”

As Redick battles for victory in Vegas, his teammates, Bubba Wallace, also facing the dilemma of the maintenance station. A green-flag pit stop incident in which crews struggled to remove the lug nuts from the No. 23 Toyota Camry XSE caused Wallace to lose valuable time and crash several laps, ultimately finishing 35th in the standings. It dropped 10 spots to a disappointing 14th place.

However, the JGR veteran stressed the need for overall improvements just three games into the season. “We try not to overreact in one race…Certainly, there were issues on #23…There were issues on #45, it seemed like there were multiple issues.” This comment corroborates Tyler Reddick’s sentiments, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive solution to these pit pit challenges shared by 23XI Racing.

While the focus is on the 23XI cars and their respective pit crew issues, it’s worth noting that Denny Hamlin himself drives the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing XSE, finished a respectable seventh place in Vegas. Both teams will be looking for a better performance on March 6 at Phoenix Raceway.