Bubba Wallace has secured a multi-year contract extension with Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing, despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding the team’s charters with NASCAR. These charters, which allow teams to compete in every race, were initially thought to be crucial to Wallace’s contract renewal. While the future of 23XI Racing’s charters for the upcoming season remains up in the air, the team has locked in its driver, ensuring Wallace’s continued presence.
This decision comes after a season that didn’t quite hit the mark for Wallace. Throughout the regular season, he secured only five top-five finishes from 26 races and failed to make the playoffs. Currently, Wallace is ranked 19th in the driver standings. Since joining 23XI Racing in 2021, he’s earned two victories, though this season’s results have left some fans and analysts underwhelmed.
The team made the announcement with a flashy promotional video featuring Wallace and the bold message, “He’s back,” in striking red letters. Alongside the video, 23XI Racing shared a caption that emphasized Wallace’s importance to the team:
“From day one, Bubba has been an integral part of 23XI. We’re excited to announce that he has signed a multi-year renewal and will continue to play a key role in helping 23XI grow and succeed. #ForwardTogether.”
While 23XI Racing and NASCAR promoted the renewal with excitement, fan reactions were more mixed, with some questioning whether the team made the right call. One fan bluntly commented, “Well, this is a waste of money,” reflecting the skepticism among a portion of the NASCAR community.
Other fans voiced their doubts about Wallace’s potential to deliver championship-level results for the team. One predicted, “Never winning a cup with this guy and everyone knows it. #Advertisingmoney.” Another sarcastically added, “PUMPED! Two more years of no playoffs for a competitive Toyota!”
Some even raised questions about the reasoning behind Wallace’s continued role with 23XI. A fan asked, “Can someone explain why this is the right decision for 23XI? I get he’s MJ’s guy, but this team has proven to be a championship-level team, and Bubba has been a fringe playoff driver consistently. Just feel like there are better options out there.”
These fan reactions highlight the division in opinion about Wallace’s performance and whether he’s the right fit for a team that has aspirations of competing at the highest level in NASCAR.
Amid the contract extension buzz, the ongoing charter negotiations between NASCAR and 23XI Racing also remain a topic of concern. NASCAR had delivered the final draft of the charter agreement to the teams, with a deadline of September 6, just before the playoffs kicked off. However, both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports chose not to sign, citing unsatisfactory terms.
The current charter agreement is set to expire at the end of the 2024 season, which means the future of 23XI’s charters remains uncertain. If the team doesn’t come to an agreement with NASCAR, it’s unclear how the situation will unfold. NASCAR could sell the charters, hold onto them in hopes the team signs later, or allow 23XI to field open cars. However, fielding open cars would significantly reduce the team’s payouts compared to those operating under charter agreements. According to NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass, “open cars” currently receive less than a third of the payouts given to charter teams, making it a risky move financially.
Pockrass also noted that, in the event the teams can’t reach an agreement on charters, legal intervention might be required to settle the matter, adding further uncertainty to the situation. For now, the future of 23XI Racing’s participation in the series beyond 2024 is still up in the air.
In the midst of all this, Wallace’s contract renewal ensures that he will remain a key player for the team, even if his performance has sparked debate among fans. Whether or not he can rise to the challenge and deliver the results needed to silence critics remains to be seen, but for now, 23XI Racing has made it clear they believe in their driver and are committed to building the team’s future with him.
