Three years ago, NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan teamed up to create 23XI Racing, a venture that’s already making waves. In May, they introduced a state-of-the-art facility called Airspeed, designed specifically for the NextGen race cars. This is a significant milestone since it’s the first facility built with these advanced cars in mind. With a price tag of $16 million, Michael Jordan’s new facility has quickly drawn attention from sports personalities. One such visitor was Stephen A. Smith, a prominent sports analyst, who recently toured the Airspeed headquarters. His visit was hosted by Bubba Wallace, one of 23XI Racing’s drivers, who made sure to share the experience on social media before Smith could.
### Bubba Wallace’s Light-Hearted Moment with Stephen A. Smith
Although Bubba Wallace has had a great season, his performance wasn’t enough to qualify for the playoffs. Nevertheless, Bubba is known for keeping the atmosphere upbeat, and the Airspeed headquarters is often filled with laughter thanks to his cheerful personality. One recent example of his fun-loving nature was when Bubba, alongside his teammate Tyler Reddick, spent time signing childhood photos of themselves at the facility. Their camaraderie off the track is just as notable as their racing prowess.
When it comes to Airspeed, it’s not just a standard race shop, as Denny Hamlin himself pointed out. “This is not a race shop. It’s a place that we work; yes, we put cars on the track, but it’s so much more than that.” Zack Albert, one of the facility’s creative minds, added that they wanted Airspeed to feel like “the Google of race shops.” From the looks of it, they achieved just that—a cutting-edge facility designed for the future of racing.
After Smith’s tour of the facility, Bubba Wallace couldn’t resist getting ahead of the NBA analyst by posting about the visit on social media, specifically on the platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Bubba even added a humorous twist to his post, sharing a picture of him and Stephen A. Smith with a playful caption.
### NBA and NASCAR Fans Excited About the Visit
Stephen A. Smith’s visit to Airspeed didn’t go unnoticed by fans. Many were thrilled to see the sports analyst at the NASCAR facility and didn’t hesitate to share their excitement. One fan even commented, “@stephenasmith Do NASCAR segments,” expressing a wish to see Smith cover NASCAR more frequently, considering his popularity in the basketball world. This interaction revealed that a significant portion of NASCAR fans also follow Smith’s work as an NBA commentator.
Stephen A. Smith is well-known for his presence on ESPN, where he frequently appears on shows like *SportsCenter* and *NBA Countdown.* As a 56-year-old television personality, radio host, and journalist, Smith’s opinions and analysis have made him a household name in sports media. So, naturally, his presence at a NASCAR facility like Airspeed stirred plenty of interest.
One of Bubba Wallace’s followers also made a witty comment, asking, “So the social media blackout is over?” This fan’s question referred to Wallace’s noticeable absence from social media following his playoff elimination. Since that point, Bubba hasn’t been very active online, and the fan’s comment seemed to express hope that Wallace would return to his usual posting routine. Clearly, Wallace has built a loyal fan base that misses his interactions.
In another humorous moment, a fan jokingly suggested that Stephen A. Smith looked like a cardboard cutout in the picture Bubba posted. Their comment read, “Don’t ask me why, but that looks like a cardboard cutout of Stephen A. Smith!” They followed it up by adding, “Idk why, but I thought he would be shorter than Bubba, lol.” The fan’s comment highlights the surprise of seeing the two standing side by side, with Smith’s height catching them off guard.
### What Do You Think About Airspeed?
Now that Stephen A. Smith has toured the Airspeed facility, NASCAR fans and sports enthusiasts alike are eager to know more about this high-tech racing hub. Have you seen any videos or photos of the facility? What’s your impression of this futuristic space dedicated to NextGen cars? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions about the Airspeed facility in the comments.
Bubba Wallace’s clever remark about Stephen A. Smith’s visit to Michael Jordan’s $16 million property has surprised fans.
