Michael Jordan continues to expand his empire.
Jordan will be teaming up with current driver, Denny Hamlin, to form a one car team with Bubba Wallace as their driver. Jordan purchased a charter from Germain Racing that guarantees a spot in Nascar’s 40-car field each week. He will be the first majority black owner in NASCAR since Wendall Scott.
For NASCAR fans, Wallace and Hamlin driving under the same entity might be a little strange. There was a much publicized spat between the two drivers that included public barbs, an alleged chocking incident, and Hamlin kicking Wallace out of his recreational basketball league. It’s apparent that things have been patched up… at least for now.
Tonight, I’m excited to announce MJ and I are starting a new, single car @NASCAR Cup Series team for 2021. Deciding on a driver was easy – it had to be @BubbaWallace. pic.twitter.com/nIJv0X6ZOX
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) September 22, 2020
One can only imagine that Jordan is thirsty for being a champion in his post-NBA career. He hasn’t come close to that as an NBA Governor. His Charlotte Hornets haven’t been a championship caliber organization and they aren’t anywhere close to challenging in the East nevertheless competing for a championship.
NASCAR’s set-up doesn’t put that sort of pressure on an team owner. Even if Wallace doesn’t win the Cup series, there is importance in winning races and finishing top 5-top 10. That’s very different than in the NBA.
