Addressing inequities in the sports arena is taking center stage, and NASCAR has not escaped scrutiny. This summer, Bubba Wallace’s difficulties as the only Black driver on the NASCAR Cup Series came into the spotlight when a noose appeared in his racing stall. This occurrence led to calls for racial reconciliation and shed light on the plight of Black drivers in pro racing, which we highlighted on this platform. Michael Jordan’s recent announcement that he is starting a new NASCAR Cup Series race team is another landmark moment. Scheduled to start racing during the 2021 season, the team will include Denny Hamlin, three-time Daytona 500 Winner, and Bubba Wallace, currently the most prominent and only Black driver on the NASCAR circuit. Both men signed multi-year deals to drive for the team.
Jordan is working closely with Joe Gibbs Racing, which currently has four Toyota teams in the Cup Series. Jordan stresses the importance of understanding all aspects of the sport and access to the best equipment and car set-up information. He also bought a charter from German Racing to guarantee a spot in NASCAR’s40-car field. The establishment of the team makes Jordan the first Black majority owner of a full-time NASCAR team since the 1970s. The first owner was Wendell Scott, featured in our first blog on NASCAR. Scott owned and raced his cars up to the 1970s. Hamlin will continue to utilize the No.11 car: he has traditionally employed for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Although Jordan is well known as a former NBA phenom, and majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, he has also had a long interest in motorsports. As a child, he regularly attended NASCAR events with his parents. They traveled the NASCAR circuit including some of the greatest and best-known racetracks: Darlington, Talladega, Daytona, and Richmond. During the height of his basketball career, college and professional, Jordan, an avid NASCAR fan, followed the sport closely. In fact, college teammate, Brad Daugherty, recalls Jordan watching NASCAR in the locker room. Besides, for ten years, 2003-2013, Jordan owned a motorcycle team on the pro circuit. Members of NASCAR have encouraged Jordan to buy a team for several years. However, earlier athletes have invested in teams with little success, and this poor track record in finding successful teams and the presence of confederate imagery at the racing venues remains a deterrent.
Jordan has been a longtime friend of Hamlin and a recent acquaintance of Wallace. He met Hamlin, who is a longtime Hornets season ticketholder, in 2006, and the two became friends. Hamlin and Jordan talked a great deal about racing. Hamlin also promoted Jordan’s brand in the NASCAR arena. He wore the Air Jordan logo on his fire suits, and regularly Jordan branded racing shoes. He also periodically invites Jordan to the track. Even college teammate, Daugherty, a NASCAR team owner at a different level, urges Jordan to invest in NASCAR.
Jordan’s interest in a NASCAR team at this historical moment seems driven by a commitment to increasing the number of African Americans in the sport. In recent comments to the press, he notes: “Historically, NASCAR has struggled with diversity, and there have been few Black drivers. The timing seems perfect as NASCAR is evolving and embracing social change more and more.” However, observers would be naive to believe that Jordan’s interest in the NASCAR is purely altruistic. Known for his competitive streak, Jordan’s assessment of his intent in a recent phone call with Bubba Wallace might be more reflective of the reality of the situation. Jordan said to Wallace during the call: “No more messing around, we want to win.”