Michael Jordan’s role in NASCAR is a highly debated topic currently, and Denny Hamlin‘s latest revelations have only added fuel to the fire. The entire community is trying to find out the people trying to throw shade on the basketball legend’s success in stock car racing. With accusations flying left and right, prominent NASCAR personnel are starting to distance themselves from the matter with defensive statements. Out of the many suspects, one official has denied his involvement.

Mike Forde comes clean about MJ comments

“There was someone we had a meeting with in Daytona, that said MJ does nothing for the sport. And it was a prominent figure in the sport. He also has a podcast,” said Hamlin. When he added those details, people immediately suspected it was Kenny Wallace or Mike Forde. Some fans also pointed at Larry McReynolds.

With his relations to NASCAR, it felt obvious to many that Managing Director Mike Forde was the one who tried to downplay MJ’s achievement. However, in his official statement, he denies any involvement in such rumors.

“It was not me. I was not in that meeting, and I didn’t say anything about Michael Jordan to Denny Hamlin. I’m flattered. I’m flattered people think I’m prominent enough … first of all, if it was me, I can promise you that Denny Hamlin would have used my name,” as reported by Kelly Crandall on her official social media.

Forde says that as he knows his feud with Hamlin isn’t new. Last year, during the lawsuit trial days, Hamlin had criticized an ESPN article on social media which felt like “propaganda”, and had said the Forde had helped to influence it.

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“Please give credit to @mforde for helping you write this propaganda piece that they want pushed to switch the narrative,” Hamlin had said. Which is why, Forde feels Hamlin wouldn’t think twice before taking his name if he was the one involved.

In Kenny Wallace’s case, he has always been open about his opinions. While talking about Michael Jordan and his team, Wallace had said a few days ago:

“With Michael Jordan doing these TV interviews, it’s making the networks recognize NASCAR. They’re like, ‘Wait, I didn’t know Michael Jordan owned a team in NASCAR.’ ”

Trying to blame Wallace was never the right decision to begin with. After all, he is very open-minded and supportive when it comes to NASCAR and its popularity. He has the least controversial opinions about the sport, since he chooses to stick with facts instead of hollow claims.

Not a long time has passed since Steve Phelps’ rude and offensive comments about NASCAR teams and owners were revealed. The fans were already angry with the France family and the way the sport is being handled. NASCAR was left mitigating a disaster owing to the lawsuit with Michael Jordan.

Since then, the sport has been trying its best to get back on track. Steve O’Donnell also reveals that they are adopting active strategies to ensure that teams trust the organization once again. Amidst all these preparations and careful procedures, NASCAR can’t afford to face another similar fallout.

Denny Hamlin’s words spark concerns among the community. Trust once lost is not regained easily. With these accusations flying around, if Hamlin’s words came from someone who is an important NASCAR figure, then it would throw the sport into a massive spiral downwards.

The spark has been ignited, and NASCAR would be praying that they do not end up catching strays once again.

On that note, it is interesting to take a look at the developments in NASCAR and 23XI Racing‘s relationship since their fallout.

Steve O’Donnell reveals surreal connection with Michael Jordan

In his latest interview, Steve O’Donnell didn’t hold back when he talked about how things have progressed with Michael Jordan and 23XI Racing. To be clear, when he and Hamlin finally defeated NASCAR after a yearlong struggle, nobody would’ve expected that they would win the most important race in the sport as soon as racing started.

If the Daytona 500 wasn’t enough, then they doubled down on their 2026 success with another victory at Atlanta. While some may believe that NASCAR is in an awkward position right now, Steve O’Donnell is more than happy for 23XI’s success. While talking about Michael Jordan’s recent success and his impact on the sport, he says:

“It’s surreal that he wins the Daytona 500 and then follows it up with back-to-back wins with Tyler Reddick. He’s always there. He’s passionate and has been a fan for life. He helps bring us to new audiences, and we want to be respectful of him and the fact that he’s a true fan. It’s really cool to see.”

At least the president of the sport is in full support of the NBA legend. That gives NASCAR some respite, although fans aren’t going to rest easy until they find out the culprit behind Denny Hamlin’s disappointment.