23XI Racing burst onto the NASCAR scene in 2021 as a high-profile partnership between Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, quickly scoring victories and playoff berths. Yet recent weekends have exposed worrisome signs, car part failures at Pocono, and whispers about overall pace. Top that with none of the three drivers of 23XI placed in the top 30 in the Pocono race (Riley Herbst-37, Bubba Wallace-36, and Tyler Reddick-32), and the picture gets more grim.

Further, none of them have a single win this season, not to mention their Cup Series standing position, as only Bubba Wallace (P12) is in the top 16, but without a win. Veteran insider Kevin Harvick flags these developments, offering a reality check for a team that once seemed unstoppable. As 23XI navigates its fifth season, Harvick’s observations set the stage for a deeper look at what lies behind the headlines.

Concerned over 23XI’s speed woes

Kevin Harvick pointed directly to questionable choices when addressing 23XI’s brake troubles on his recent Happy Hour podcast. He said, “It was obviously a bad decision, somewhere along the line with the braking system, because nobody else that I know of had an issue.” At Pocono, Riley Herbst suffered a rotor failure on Lap 42 and slammed into the wall. Bubba Wallace experienced a similar failure on Lap 55. Tyler Reddick’s team even brought his car to the garage preemptively to avoid the same fate. Those failures, isolated to 23XI’s Toyotas that weekend, underscore Harvick’s warning that “they need to be concerned with the decision that they made,” prompting a close review of parts selection, brake cooling strategies, and comparisons with Toyota-aligned teams like Joe Gibbs Racing.

Beyond brakes, Harvick flagged raw pace: “I’d say that there are some concerns about the 23XI speed in general. I haven’t seen it from either one of them in several weeks. The speed part of the 23 car is concerning to me.” Bubba Wallace, who delivered 23XI’s first Cup win at Talladega in 2021 and another at Kansas in 2022, has averaged finishes outside the top 15 in recent weeks, and his 2025 season average finish sits near 19th with only six top-10s in 17 starts.

Tyler Reddick, 2022 Xfinity champion turned Cup contender, has similarly lacked the earlier speed that earned him a playoff berth. 23XI’s eight Cup victories since their debut contrast with the expectations set by their resources and Toyota backing. Harvick’s warning, embedded in “they need to be concerned,” underscores that sporadic reliability issues and fading speed trends can undercut a team’s trajectory if not addressed swiftly.

Harvick also noted the pattern. “It’s not a coincidence that all three cars broke the same part.” Repeated rotor failures point to systematic issues, whether in component sourcing, brake duct configuration, or materials, that 23XI must address. Pocono’s heavy braking zones, with long straights followed by aggressive deceleration into Turn 1, exacerbate thermal stress on rotors.

Motorsport analysis confirms that teams often adjust brake pad compounds or cooling passages when failures arise. For 23XI, rapid diagnosis and implementation of revised brake packages, leveraging data from Toyota allies, will be critical. Harvick’s blunt assessment signals that resolving reliability and restoring speed are non-negotiable if 23XI is to reclaim the momentum its early years promised.

While that’s that, this is not the only problem that the team faces.

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NASCAR Lawsuit: Michael Jordan & Co.’s Counterclaim Bid Faces Legal Blow

Michael Jordan & Co. face legal blow

23XI Racing’s off-track challenges intensified when their antitrust suit against NASCAR encountered a setback. A U.S. Court of Appeals denied 23XI and Front Row Motorsport’s motion to dismiss NASCAR’s counterclaim, with Judge Bell noting, “The challenges to the counterclaim are best addressed at summary judgment, with a more developed factual record.” This ruling means the teams must now prepare for deeper legal discovery rather than an early dismissal, prolonging uncertainty around charter rights and potential damages. The original suit, filed in September 2024, alleged NASCAR’s charter terms unfairly favored established owners; the counterclaim accuses the teams of collusion in negotiating charter agreements.

Jeffrey Kessler, representing 23XI and Front Row, responded, “Judge Bell’s decision today is encouraging even though we are disappointed that he did not dismiss NASCAR’s meritless, retaliatory counterclaim. The judge’s recognition of many of our arguments… reinforces our confidence that we will prevail in summary judgment.” This exchange highlights the high stakes.

Legal costs and distractions may strain team focus and resources already taxed by on-track problems. As 23XI contends with speed woes, the drawn-out lawsuit looms as a parallel challenge, reinforcing that organizational resilience must cover both engineering rooms and courtrooms.