PLANO, Texas, Oct. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota is
pleased to announce their support of the new NASCAR Cup Series team
23XI Racing, which is co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and current NASCAR Cup Series
championship contender Denny Hamlin.
23XI Racing will make its debut in the 2021 Daytona 500 with
Bubba Wallace behind the wheel of
the No. 23 Toyota Camry.
The partnership with Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) includes
support from Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A. (TRD), who will build the team's
engines and provide technology, data and technical assistance.
"We are excited to be a part of this new team with Michael,
Denny and Bubba," said Ed Laukes,
group vice president of Toyota Division Marketing at TMNA. "As a
Chicago native, I saw firsthand
Michael's determination as he led his team to multiple NBA
championships. I know he brings that same drive and work ethic to
this new opportunity. Denny has been a valuable part of the Toyota
family for over a decade and we are happy to support him as he
takes the next step into NASCAR team ownership. We are also
thrilled to bring Bubba back to the Toyota family. Bubba achieved
many firsts with Toyota, and we are counting on him earning many
more victories with 23XI Racing behind the wheel of a Camry."
The Toyota relationship will also incorporate an agreement with
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) to allow 23XI Racing to purchase chassis and
other services. As is the case with many other Toyota and TRD teams
within the NASCAR garages, technical information and communication
amongst the teams will be encouraged to help improve performance
across the Toyota and TRD family of teams and drivers.
"We're excited to have the opportunity to provide resources to
this new Toyota team to help them get started," said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. "We can
remember being in a similar position nearly three decades ago and
we were fortunate to have a similar agreement that helped us in the
beginning. We're happy for Denny to realize his dream of ownership
and certainly it's a big deal for NASCAR to have someone with the
respect and stature of Michael
Jordan enter our sport."
A lifelong NASCAR fan, Jordan was inducted into the Naismith
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. He played 13 seasons for
the Chicago Bulls, leading them to six NBA Championships. In 2010,
he became the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets (then
Bobcats) and is the first former player to become the majority
owner of an NBA franchise.
"My main goal for 23XI Racing is to be competitive for a
championship as soon as possible," Jordan said. "Our partnership
with Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing gives us the equipment, resources
and expertise to do it."
Hamlin has been a vital part of the Toyota family for over a
decade. Since first climbing behind the wheel of a Camry in 2008,
Hamlin has scored 41 victories, three Daytona 500 wins and has
finished in the top-10 in the point standings 10 times. He has
earned seven victories this season and has advanced to the Round of
8 as he pursues his first NASCAR Cup Series title.
"Toyota has been a big part of my NASCAR career," Hamlin said.
"We've achieved multiple milestones together including back-to-back
Daytona 500 victories. I know how they support their teams, and
when I decided move to team ownership, I knew that I wanted Toyota
to be alongside our team. Toyota supports my vision with this team
and will be integrated with our team members to support us as we
grow and strive to achieve race wins and championships."
23XI Racing marks a return to the Toyota family for Bubba Wallace. Wallace first joined Toyota in
2011 as a part of Rev Racing in what's now the ARCA Menards Series
East. As a 17-year-old, he drove to three wins and a runner-up
finish in the point standings. In 2012, he joined Joe Gibbs Racing
and made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, scoring a top-10 finish.
From 2013-2014, Wallace competed in the Truck Series with
Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM),
including becoming the first African-American to win in NASCAR in
nearly 40 years when he drove to victory at Martinsville Speedway
in October 2013. Wallace added four
additional victories and two top-10 finishes in the final point
standings in his tenure with KBM.
The No. 23 Toyota Camry will make its debut in the 2021 Daytona
500 and join fellow Toyota teams, Joe Gibbs Racing and Gaunt
Brothers Racing, in the Great American Race on February 14, 2021.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY:
- Friday, October 30 —
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET
- Ed Laukes (Group Vice
President, Marketing, TMNA), David
Wilson (President, TRD) and Denny
Hamlin (23XI Racing team owner)
- Microsoft Teams will be used and a link will be sent to
those who RSVP for the availability. Please RSVP to Lisa Hughes Kennedy (LHughesKennedy@golin.com)
or Cody Poor (CPoor@golin.com). A
link via a calendar invite will be sent at 1:00 PM ET.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the
cultural fabric in the U.S. and North
America for more than 60 years, and is committed to
advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota
and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a
tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class
design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and
trucks in North America, where we
have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in
Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and
directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the
U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in
the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4
million in the U.S.) in 2019.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights
the way it partners with community, civic, academic and
governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing
mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move,
anything is possible. For more information about Toyota,
visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About 23XI Racing
23XI Racing – pronounced
twenty-three eleven – was founded by
NBA legend Michael Jordan and
three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny
Hamlin in 2020. Rising NASCAR star Bubba Wallace is the single car team's driver.
23XI Racing's No. 23 Toyota Camry will make its NASCAR Cup Series
debut at the Daytona 500 on February 14,
2021 at Daytona International Speedway.
Media
Contacts:
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Sam
Mahoney
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Lisa Hughes Kennedy,
Golin for
Toyota Racing
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Cody Poor, Golin for
Toyota Racing
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980-900-8573
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704-902-6476
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323-578-7159
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samuel.mahoney@toyota.com
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lhugheskennedy@golin.com
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cpoor@golin.com
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SOURCE Toyota