
via Imago
Credits: Imagn

via Imago
Credits: Imagn
With all the side quests that Shaquille O’Neal loves, it seems involvement with racing has become a priority for now. The Big Diesel recently won a bet against auto racing star Jimmie Johnson following which he secured the rights to design Johnson’s car for the upcoming Daytona 500.
The 2025 edition of the Daytona 500 will be held on February 16. As we all know it, the venue will be Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Now, it seems that with the deadline nearing, Shaquille O’Neal has gotten onto the re-design work of Johnson’s ride for the racing event. The speculations are based on the fact that Big Diesel was recently spotted in Miami, Florida.
His whereabouts came to light when an Instagram account by the name of Cyberlocos shared a video, where they had encountered O’Neal on the street in his Tesla Cybertruck. “Only in Miami… Shaq pulled up next to us in his Cybertruck, rolled down the window, and hit us with— ‘How you liking your Cybertruck, boys?'” read the caption to the post, revealing the location of the video.
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It’s not too wild a guess to assume that Shaquille O’Neal is in Florida to work on Jimmie Johnson’s Dayton 500 car. Wondering how Shaq managed to grab this opportunity? Let’s rewind a bit.
It all started with some good old-fashioned trash talk. The former Los Angeles Lakers star, never one to hold back, took a playful jab at Johnson’s never-ending NASCAR career. One thing led to another, and suddenly, they were locked into a challenge. A free throw contest.
Now, if you know Shaquille O’Neal’s terrible history with free throws, you know this was a bold move by Johnson. He probably thought he had this in the bag. The stakes? If Johnson won, Shaq would have to rock NASCAR gear of his choosing. But if Shaq pulled off the win, he’d get full creative control over Johnson’s Daytona 500 car design.
When they finally hit the court, Johnson started strong, taking an early 3-2 lead. But Shaq made a comeback and secured a 5-4 victory. And just like that, he earned himself the right to give Johnson’s car a full Shaq-style makeover.
Shaquille O’Neal’s designed car could potentially face Michael Jordan’s racing machines
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Imagine this—two NBA legends, but instead of battling it out on the court, they’re going head-to-head on the racetrack. Sounds wild, right? Well, it might just happen.
Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing has been a familiar presence at Daytona, but here’s the twist—there’s no guarantee they’ll be there in 2025. In November, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin dropped a shocker, saying he couldn’t promise the team’s cars would hit the track next season.
Why? It all boils down to a legal battle. An antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and chairman Jim France has thrown a wrench in the works. A judge even denied a temporary injunction that could’ve locked in 23XI Racing’s chartered status.
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“I think it’s all TBD,” Hamlin admitted when asked about their Daytona 500 chances. “There’s certain things that we’re going to have to navigate, so I hope so.”
For now, it’s a waiting game. But if everything falls into place, we could witness something truly special—Shaquille O’Neal-designed car going up against Jordan’s racing machines. Especially considering that with Big Diesel seemingly on the design work early on, it’s quite evident he’s taking this quite seriously.
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Shaq designing a NASCAR car—genius move or a recipe for disaster? What's your take?
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