Bristol Racetrack will surely go down in the annals of Denny Hamlin‘s memory. Not only did he etch his name in the record books by securing his 51st win and his third win at Bristol, but his team, 23XI, wasn’t too far off the mark either. Tyler Reddick might not have cracked the top 10, but he sure lit up the track. The cherry on top? Bubba Wallace, once a long shot lingering below the top-12 cut line, defied the odds.

Securing the 14th spot at Bristol, Wallace’s knack for snagging those all-important stage points catapulted him into the elite top 12. Now, Denny Hamlin, playing the role of the wise old owl, is stepping up to the plate, imparting nuggets of wisdom and strategies to his protégé, guiding him through the twists and turns of the upcoming rounds. All this while sharing a tidbit about an employee who gets cold feet in the towering presence of none other than Michael Jordan.

Denny Hamlin shares strategies that Bubba Wallace would need to employ to make it into the top eight and beyond

While Hamlin might not always walk the talk with these tactics himself, they seemingly mirror the game plan Wallace has been running with since day one—from playoff qualification to breaking into the top 12.

Ahead of the Bristol showdown, Bubba Wallace was treading on thin ice, sitting 17 points behind the top-12 cutline. Many NASCAR pundits were ready to write his swan song, predicting Bristol to be his curtain call in the 2023 Cup Championship. Yet, against all odds and with a little help from the misfortunes befalling Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick, Wallace danced into the coveted top 12.

Now, Denny Hamlin’s advice to Wallace echoes the same tune. Rather than pushing him to gun for gold or maybe secure a top-5 or clinch a victory, Hamlin suggests Wallace stick to his guns, emphasizing, “The round of 12 will be no different than the round of 16. There will still be guys that stub their toe, that have bad days. He is at such a point, he is going to need to finish top-15 every week and finish top-10 in next 2 out of the three. He’s probably going to have to get 30 stage points during this round to make it, which is all feasible.”

Besides that, on a lighter note, Hamlin shared a chuckle-worthy anecdote about Bubba Wallace’s crew chief, Booty Barker. Tasked with keeping Wallace on track, Barker usually finds himself in the hot seat next to basketball demigod Michael Jordan. As he juggles his responsibilities, Jordan’s inquiries keep him on his toes.

Reflecting on the comical scenario during a podcast, Hamlin jested that Booty probably has the toughest gig, saying, “Michael, to the very end, was sitting on the pit box and right behind poor Booty. He’s nervous anyway of what’s going on out there; he’s got there MJ talking in his ear, asking questions. That just shows the passion that Michael has for this race team and the people that we have hired, and it’s great.”

But beyond these fun anecdotes, Hamlin exudes confidence in the upcoming tracks and believes Wallace has the mettle to up his game. And why not? With inspiration flowing from the legendary Michael Jordan, Wallace is geared to reach for the stars, as shared by the 23XI driver himself.

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Wallace takes motivation from the basketball legend and his boss, Michael Jordan

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While many drivers might feel the heat leading up to monumental races like the Daytona 500, for Wallace, the kettle would’ve been boiling over if he’d punched his ticket to the playoff round. However, rising like a phoenix from the ashes, Wallace credits none other than his boss, Michael Jordan, as his North Star.

Speaking to Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, he remarked, “I haven’t talked to him (Michael Jordan) yet. He knows that he motivates me and motivates our whole team to go out and execute, and that’s what we did. So proud of all of our guys and proud of the effort 23 groups strong mentally and physically, and we’ll show on that, so just gotta keep going.” 

So, for those who’ve labeled Bubba Wallace as “mentally fragile,” he’s certainly proving he’s not a shrinking violet. Still, with his historical wobbles in Texas, all eyes will be on whether Denny Hamlin’s playbook proves to be his magic feather at a track that’s traditionally been his Achilles’ heel.

Read More: “Tell Em To Bring Me My Money” – Bubba Wallace on Massive Feat With Michael Jordan’s Team