Sports

Michael Jordan And Travis Pastrana Are Teaming Up For Daytona 500 And Fans Are Stoked

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Even two decades after his retirement from the NBA, Michael Jordan is one of the if not the most famous athlete in the entire world.

On the other end of the spectrum, dirt bike racer turned stunt man turned Nitro Circus creator Travis Pastrana may be the biggest name in all of action sports (non-Tony Hawk division),

Now, the two are teaming up.

Jordan made headlines two years ago when he dove into the world of NASCAR to become a team owner alongside driver Denny Hamlin. The two have had a decent amount of success in their first two seasons as owners, winning three races and signing one of the sport’s hottest prospects.

Entering the 2023 season, 23XI Racing was set to field two full-time entries. Bubba Wallace will drive the 23 car, while newly signed Tyler Reddick will pilot the 45. Reddick replaces former series champion Kurt Busch, who tearfully announced his retirement last season following a concussion suffered in a crash.

But Busch wasn’t fully stepping away. He was rumored to run the 2023 Daytona 500 in a third 23XI entry. Now it appears that’s not happening.

Jordan and Hamlin, however, had a backup plan.

Travis Pastrana To Run In 2023 Daytona 500 For Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing

Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reports that 23XI will still run a third car, but it will be Pastrana behind the wheel.

  • Pastrana ran a full season in the second-tier Xfinity Series in 2013, plus select starts in the third-tier Truck Series, but the Daytona 500 would represent his debut in NASCAR’s premier Cup Series.
  • Across both the Xfinity and Truck Series, the 39-year-old has made 47 combined starts with a best finish of ninth in the 2013 spring Xfinity race at Richmond Raceway.
  • An announcement is expected next week, according to those familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly. The official Daytona 500 entry list is not released until the week of the race

Some fans were upset the seat wasn’t given to a more accomplished racer. But Pastrana is still a huge name in world of motorsports. Most fans were fired up about the move.

Travis Pastrana and Michael Jordan. What a duo.