Kyle Larson started from the pole for the second consecutive time in his Hendrick Motorsports #5 Chevrolet at Richmond. However, a familiar Toyota Racing Development (TRD) rival emerged as the underdog contender for Yung Money’s eventual P3 spot straight from the early laps of the Richmond race on Sunday – 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace.

The #23 Camry XSE was the highest-qualifying Toyota in the Toyota Owners 400, placing itself on the grid at an impressive P5 spot, thanks to the driver’s efforts. Wallace consistently ran within the top 10 throughout the race but a late-race caution, also courtesy of the #23 and #5 beating and banging with just two laps to go, revealed the Michael Jordan co-owned team’s harrowing woes. Bubba slipped from a P5 spot to a P13 on the overtime restart, but the #23 driver was classy in defeat, and the fans shed light on his real problems for a change this time – 23XI’s pit crew struggles.

23XI Crew in the Hot Seat After Another Slow Stop for Bubba Wallace

Late race sparks flew as Bubba Wallace’s aggressive move on Kyle Larson sent the #5 Chevy spinning on lap 398, but Larson recovered in the pits to secure another Hendrick Motorsports podium finish. On the other hand, Bubba fell from contention altogether due to slow pit strategies and he registered a P13.

Considering all the history between the #5 and the #23, fans expected to see a livid Bubba when he approached Larson post-race during interviews. However, the 31-year-old showed incredible maturity as he put his hands on Yung Money and offered an animated apology for the prior incident.

A recent Twitter share generated a lot of buzz on the NASACAR Subreddit, with the “controversial” Bubba-Larson moment as the primary talking point. Bubba can be heard apologizing to Larson stating, “Whatever’s coming my way, I know it. I expect it.”

Bubba apologizes to Larson.
byu/Allmighty_ACE inNASCAR

Reddit user u/Specialist-Two2068 ignited the discussions on Reddit in a candid declaration: “Nothing that Bubba’s pit crew can’t do worse.” Another comment explained why the collective sentiment ranged against the #23 pit crew: “Nobody talking about that awful pit stop. Lost like 10 spots” One fan aimed as far as to hold the owners of 23XI accountable as they wrote, “I don’t understand how Denny and Michael can’t see the problem. They HAVE to see this, it’s been happening to Bubba AND Reddick, and both of them have been screwed out of good finishes and even wins by bad pit stops more times than I can count.”

But another fan left the necessary reminder about co-owner Denny Hamlin’s recent explanations for the pit crew struggles, referencing an episode on Actions Detrimental. “He said the problem is all of the superstar pit crew guys are locked to long term contracts with the big teams. When you’re making a new pit crew you’re basically starting from scratch and it’s the hardest aspect of competing with the top tier teams,” explained Reddit user u/QuestionablePanda22 in an apt fashion.

“Guys Like That Don’t Grow on Trees”

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It is important to remember that 23XI Racing only started using their own pit crews from last season, after two years of leasing members from technical allies Joe Gibbs Racing. When Hamlin announced his joint ownership ventures with Michael Jordan in 2020, the Virginia native drove the #11 Toyota for the same team. Four years down the line, Hamlin still aspires for a first championship with the #11 Camry XSE and JGR. Nevertheless, the delicate balance between ownership and driver duties can often be hectic to handle with the demands of a rapidly evolving NASCAR landscape.

One fan pointed out something interesting about NASCAR’s newest broadcast feature. FOX highlighted the introduction of pit crews for Denny Hamlin’s #11 and Chase Elliott’s #24 teams, praising the new perspective it gives viewers. The comment in the recent discussions interestingly observed, “When they did the intros for Chase Elliott’s pit seemed like everyone had 10-15 years of experience. Guys like that don’t grow on trees.”

23XI Racing drivers Wallace and #45 Tyler Reddick have been vocal about the garage and its inexperience, but both drivers have now faced recurring issues in 2024, like in Vegas, where Reddick finished P2, and Bubba finished 35th due to a hastily removed lug nut. On the other hand, co-owner Hamlin has already claimed two victories on short tracks this season. Will MJ and the driver “that beat all your favorite drivers” put an end to this pit road struggle for 23XI once and for all?

Denny Hamlin Believes His & Michael Jordan’s $16M Investment Would Conquer 23XI’s Fatal Flaw