23XI Racing’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season has been a whirlwind of ambition, high stakes, and legal drama. The team, led by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, has faced immense pressure, both from fierce on-track competition and a pivotal legal battle over their charters with NASCAR.

Nevertheless, Hamlin has made it clear that this battle hasn’t derailed their racing focus, insisting performance strategies for drivers like Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, and Riley Herbst remain front and center. Despite only sporadic flashes of the dominant speed and execution expected, and the results of the legal action hanging in the balance, the team’s playoff pursuit continues to capture headlines as they aim to translate potential into postseason success this year.

23XI’s playoff picture: Denny Hamlin concerned with Reddick’s uncertainty

Bubba Wallace’s dramatic victory at the 2025 Brickyard 400 was not just historic. Instead, it was a season-defining turning point for 23XI Racing. Becoming the first Black driver to win on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s famed 2.5-mile oval, Wallace broke a 100-race winless streak. But, crucially, among all these, he punched his ticket to the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with poise under double-overtime pressure and a razor-thin margin over Kyle Larson.

With Wallace’s win, some might think two 23XI entries are locked in for the playoffs. As Jared Allen put it, “So you’ve got two cars at 23XI locked in the playoffs.” Yet, as Travis Rockhold cautioned, “We have one locked in. Tyler could miss it.” Tyler Reddick, piloting the No. 45 car, is still outside the winner’s circle in 2025. He sits precariously near the playoff bubble despite multiple strong showings.

Agreed that Reddick has a 75-point cushion on Alex Bowman. But a win for Bowman or other drivers in contention can put Reddick’s playoff spot in danger. Reddick’s year has been repeatedly derailed by bad luck and inconsistency. “I don’t think they’ve had the speed that they had last year and then the execution’s not been as good. I mean, certainly I saw they pitted and then got caught up in that wreck on that green-white-checker. You know that was kind of a microcosm of their year,” Hamlin explained on the Actions Detrimental podcast.

At Indianapolis, Reddick got involved in a wreck with Zane Smith and Christopher Bell in overtime. The result? A DNF after a strong race. And as Hamlin mentioned, it’s not just wrecks that have brought bad luck to a good race for Tyler Reddick. Take a look at Pocono, for example. Another good race for Reddick, until a brake issue derailed the momentum with the 45 car finishing 32nd in the end.

Reflecting on the relentless setbacks, Rockhold observed, “I feel like there just hasn’t been that one complete race.” Hamlin nodded. “Yep, agree.” As the regular season barrels toward its climax, 23XI still has work to do. They will be hoping for Reddick’s breakthrough and perhaps a little magic at Daytona to solidify their playoff hopes.

What makes 23XI different from others in NASCAR

When it comes to running a race team, Denny Hamlin isn’t doing things the old-school way. And he’ll be the first to tell you that 23XI Racing is built very differently from the rest of the NASCAR garage. “We have a very different chain of command at 23XI,” Hamlin said while talking about the team’s playoff hopes. “We’re a team built entirely different than most all the other race teams and how they work.” And he’s not exaggerating.

Unlike some teams, where the internal vibe feels more like organized chaos, every man for himself, even between teammates, 23XI has doubled down on a “we’re in this together” mentality. “You’ll probably see out there, all three teams are going to be out there taking photos because, besides race day, they all wear the same uniforms and each person works on everyone else’s car,” said Hamlin. That kind of unity isn’t just rare in NASCAR. It’s almost unheard of.

A big piece of that puzzle is Bubba Wallace’s crew chief, Charles Denike. He’s ex-military and, as Hamlin put it, “buttoned up” to the core. “He reminds me a lot of the great crew chiefs that I’ve worked with,” Hamlin said. “His work ethic, and how prepared he is, I just can’t sing his praises enough.”

So yes, 23XI may still be young compared to some of the sport’s legacy teams. But they’re clearly not playing by the same rulebook. With a culture built on trust, shared effort, and people like Denike bringing military-grade discipline to the pit box, Hamlin’s team is carving out its own path. And maybe showing the rest of the garage a new way to win.