A year ago, not even Bubba Wallace would have imagined that he would be running the No. 23 car for a new NASCAR team, owned by one of the greatest sportspersons ever, in Michael Jordan. However, that is the reality, and Wallace is less than a month away from making his debut for 23XI Racing.

Wallace still remembers the day of the announcement quite clearly. Naturally, his phone was buzzing with numerous calls and messages as the world learned of the new development.

Among those many many texts, there was one from an unknown number that caught Wallace’s attention and excited him the most. It was from none other than Jordan himself, and the NBA legend sent across a nice congratulatory message to young Wallace.

“I’ll never forget the day we announced,” Wallace said in a recent interview.

What Michael Jordan said to Bubba Wallace in his text message

“I was getting a lot of phone calls and text messages from family and friends, and then an unknown number pops up with a simple text message, ‘Hey, glad to see this thing came through. Let’s get after it and go have fun. MJ.’  I’m like, that’s pretty cool right there,” Wallace expressed.

The message from Jordan and his affirmative response to roping in Wallace as the team’s driver is, more than anything, a great indicator of Jordan’s trust in the 27-year-old driver. Wallace understands that, and he is excited to have a chance to prove his mettle.

The former Richard Petty Motorsports driver understands the task ahead and is ready to put in the efforts needed.

Wallace understands there is work to be done

“It’s super dope! I’m excited, but we have a lot of work to do. Brand new team, getting everything going, getting all of our parts and pieces together to be successful is gonna take a lot of work from us,” Wallace said further.

Bubba Wallace already has a reputation as an overachiever in the NASCAR Cup Series. He had ordinary equipment at RPM in the No. 43 car compared to some of the top runners in the series, but he performed better than expected, more often than not.

At 23XI Racing, Jordan has already promised him much better resources and equipment, and an alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and manufacturer Toyota is a massive step in that direction. One thing is certain, the Wallace-Jordan-Denny Hamlin combination will be one to savor.

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