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Bubba Wallace Gives Insight Into Airspeed, 23XI’s $16 Million “Racing Mansion” in North Carolina

Published 01/31/2024, 11:01 PM EST

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The idea of setting up shop in Huntersville has been on the back burner of 23XI Racing since 2021. When Hamlin forked over a pretty penny – $3.7 million to be exact – for a sprawling 15-acre lot, the wheels started turning for the team to make their move. Steve Lauletta, one of the big shots on the team, let the cat out of the bag during a chinwag with the Charlotte Business Journal.

Just a hop, skip, and a jump later, as they were putting the finishing touches on the construction, the 23XI squad couldn’t help but sneak everyone an aerial peek of their new headquarters on X. And adding to the buzz, Bubba Wallace has thrown in his two cents about Airspeed and shared his take on this whole ‘new year, new home’ vibe.

It’s been 18 years since anyone’s put up a new race shop

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Chatting with the folks at GoPRNLive, Bubba couldn’t hide his excitement about 23XI’s latest masterpiece, affectionately dubbed Airspeed. “Yeah, Airspeed is what we’re calling it. Airspeed is the MC Mansion of race shops. I mean we got to think when was the last race shop built stats out there? I think 18 years ago,” he gushed.

“I mean think of the things that have changed in your house over the last 5 years right? So, yes it’s way more modern up to date super cool very open concept. It’s beautiful it’s gorgeous.”

He couldn’t help but sing Denny Hamlin‘s praises, noting how Denny’s been practically living at the site, getting down and dirty to make sure everything was just right. “Denny has been there I think every day really had hands-on boots on the ground. It’s it’s really really cool to see all come together, way bigger than where we at now so you lose a little bit of that intimacy.”

He continued, “But I think that’s one of our core values is to try to bring that back a little bit so I think we’re still a couple of weeks out um to where it were fully moved in like we’re working out there like we’re building race cars now but uh still you’re moving boxes and moving things hit the finding the final resting place for everything is still a little bit out. But man it looks really good.”

Not too long ago, the 23XI Racing team let us in on a little secret, sharing a bird’s eye view of their snazzy new digs on social media, teasing, “New year, new home! 🤩Excited to share a peek at Airspeed, our state-of-the-art headquarters. More images to come as we continue to put on the final touches. Be sure to stay tuned for info on when we officially open the doors to fans. #ForwardTogether.”

But 23XI Racing HQ isn’t just any race shop. We’re talking a grand plan that includes a cozy 120-room hotel and a sprawling 12,000 square feet of office space to boot. At a recent town hall, local developer Jake Palillo spilled the beans on this ambitious combo, keeping mum on the names but hinting at the powerhouse team behind it—none other than basketball legend Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.

And for those itching for a sneak peek inside, flick over to Netflix and catch “NASCAR: Full Speed Episode 3.” It could be your ticket to some behind-the-scenes action.

Watch This Story: Bubba Wallace Reacts To Him Recreating The Iconic Young Thug Meme

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“NASCAR: Full Throttle Episode 3” gave everyone a sneak peek behind the curtain at 23XI Racing’s brand-spanking-new HQ

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Bubba Wallace had let slip that Denny Hamlin’s practically a fixture at the North Carolina base, and sure enough, we caught him in the series, making his daily pilgrimage there. The show didn’t skimp on the high-tech bells and whistles either.

You can watch Hamlin hunkered down in a cockpit, surrounded by a cutting-edge 3D setup, fine-tuning his skills on virtual bumps and curves. And they didn’t stop there – the series showed another bird’s eye view of the sprawling 100,000-square-foot estate. The 23XI crew has ballooned to a hearty team of 80, showing just how much they’ve revved up.

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Bubba Wallace Reveals How Toyota Orchestrated His Rolex Daytona 24 Appearance

And while Steve Lauletta played his cards close to his chest earlier in January 2023, not ready to cough up the final tally on this big spend, the Charlotte Business Journal threw out a number that’s nothing to sneeze at – a cool $16 million.

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Written by:

Neha Dwivedi

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Neha Dwivedi is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. As a journalist, she religiously believes in the power of research, which allows her readers to dive deep into her stories and experience the detailed nuances of the sport like never before. Being proficient with Core Sport and Live Event Coverage, she has written multiple copies on the top entities of Stock Car Racing, like Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Tony Stewart.
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