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Why is the US Air Force sponsoring Michael Jordan’s NASCAR driver, Bubba Wallace, for the 2024 Cup Season?
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The US Air Force and 23Xi Racing have announced a new primary sponsorship deal for selected races in the 2024 season. The No:23 Toyota Camry of Bubba Wallace will use the USAF paint scheme next season. It’s a two-car NASCAR Cup team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin.

USAF has been a sponsor in the NASCAR Cup Series for at least one driver since the 2020 season. The races where Wallace will dorn the scheme is yet to be announced. It will be a special experience for Wallace to get into the 2024 season with the sponsorship deal, as he is expected to have a solid season this year on the back 0of a career-best performance that yielded him a playoff spot in 2023.

23XI team president Steve Lauletta pointed out that the USAF recognizes teamwork as the most critical component of achieving success, and with the TRD team, they are looking forward to achieving the collective goals on and off the track.

The Air Force and 23XI recognize that teamwork is the most critical component in achieving success. We look forward to moving forward together to achieve our collective goals both on the track and in the broader community. Lauletta said via a statement.

Wallace, whom USAF sponsored in the past, had a cool experience with them. He enjoyed the time he spent with the airman in the past and is hoping that he can achieve success in 2024 at 23XI with his old sponsor. It will be special if Bubba Wallace ends his winless streak from 2023 with a triumph while sporting the Air Force-themed car.

My previous experience with the folks from the Air Force was awesome and I had the chance to meet a lot of great airmen who do some amazing things each and every day. I’m looking forward to welcoming them to 23XI and showing them what we’re all about as we work together to try and accomplish the impossible.

Bubba Wallace had some amazing time with USAF in the past

Wallace made his NASCAR Cup Series debut driving for Richard Petty’s team, which was rebranded to Legacy MC in 2023. From 2018 to 2020, the USAF sponsored eight of Wallace’s races with Petty’s team, and 2024 will mark their reappearance on Wallace’s car after three years.

One of Wallace’s unique experiences with the USAF came in the Daytona 500 from four seasons ago. He tandem skydived from a C-17 Globemaster with the Wings of Blue parachute team to the Florida Superspeedways’s infield.

The last driver to get sponsored by USAF was Erick Jones, who currently drives for Petty’s team. They sponsored the NO:43 Chevy team for five events in the 2024 season. Legacy MC joined Toyota in 2024, and now one of their top sponsors has followed them.  

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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