By now, many know that 23XI Racing has missed the deadline for the charter agreement. But what does this mean for the team? As of now, everyone is focusing on the playoffs, including Denny Hamlin, who owns 23XI Racing. Amidst the playoffs, the team is trying to negotiate a ‘good’ deal with NASCAR, but without a charter for the team, uncertainty is rising.

Bubba Wallace, the non-playoffs driver for 23XI Racing, is caught up in the middle of not having a seat for 2025 and the fact that his current team has not reserved a spot for next season. While Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin figure out how to deal with the charter agreement, Bubba Wallace’s future hangs in the balance. With all the drama and speculation surrounding the 23XI Racing charter, Kevin Harvick shares what’s on his mind regarding the whole deal.

Kevin Harvick talks about Bubba Wallace’s future in NASCAR

Let’s talk about Bubba Wallace first. The No. 23 Toyota driver has had a tough season, missing out on the playoffs by a narrow margin. His teammate, on the other hand, Tyler Reddick, not only made it into the playoffs but also managed to win the regular season championship.

This contrast, in addition to the team boss being caught up with his own playoff race, has Bubba Wallace on the sidelines. The tension is rising for the team and the drivers, and Kevin Harvick decided to discuss Wallace’s situation in his podcast.

In the latest episode of Kevin Harvick‘s Happy Hour, the host addresses Wallace’s words following the missed deadline, saying, “You heard Bubba say it, right? ‘I don’t know,’ you know? It kind of puts me in a position where I don’t know about my future, and it’s uneasy.”

These are not the words of a driver who knows that they have a seat for next year. Harvick warns Denny Hamlin in the podcast about the charter issue being like cancer while stating, “Now it’s going to spread through the shop, through the employees, unless they address it and say, ‘Okay, we’re going to sign it,’ or ‘We’re going to do this,’ or ‘We’re in,’ or ‘We’re out.'”

Everything lies on the two team owners to make a call, and according to Harvick, “they have to address that situation, or it’s going to spread a cancer through their shop like they’ve never experienced before.” The discussion on the podcast continues as a former driver mentions how bad of a time the 23XI Racing time decided to hold back on the charter.

Why was it the worst possible time for 23XI Racing to hold back on the charter deal?

With the playoffs in action, it’s hard for someone like Denny Hamlin to focus on both the races and the team. Sure, when Hamlin is behind the steering wheel, he can block out everything else, but once the race is over, it’s back to the pressing matter of the charter deal.

According to Harvick, the issue has come up at one of the worst times ever considering the playoffs, and about this, he stated in his podcast, “This is the most inopportune distraction ever, right? Absolutely the worst time ever, because it’s the most stressful time of the year.”

By handling a team while racing, Denny Hamlin has signed up for 2 full-time jobs. Both require immense time management and decision-making skills. Right now, where Hamlin stands is at one of the busiest moments of his life, especially considering how badly the first round of the playoffs went for him.

Everyone wants to know if 23XI Racing will get to settle the charter deal beyond the deadline, and the bigger question here is, will Bubba Wallace continue with the team next year? Let us know what your thoughts are on the same in the comments below.