NASCAR Insider’s Reality Check Confirms 23XI Racing’s Place in the Big Three

While this success fulfills a purpose Denny Hamlin has long chased for his team, the timing might be a bit too early for his own championship ambitions.

Is 23XI’s success hampering Hamlin’s 2026 run?

Hamlin commits to putting 23XI Racing at the front of the grid. Shortly after Reddick’s Daytona victory, he revealed his aim of taking down the current ‘Big 3’ on the grid in the future.

“We just felt like we were the next team. Like the next, we’re the next elite team. We’re done with that,” he said on the Actions Detrimental podcast. “We’re trying to infiltrate that, the old guard that is taking over the sport over the last few decades from their commitment, obviously, their heritage of knowing their winning pedigree.”

AUSTIN, TX – MARCH 01: Michael Jordon celebrates with Tyler Reddick 45 23XI Racing Chumba Casino Toyota after Reddick won the the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix on March 1, 2026 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX. Photo by Karl Anderson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: MAR 01 NASCAR Cup Series DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon272260301058

This sounds like an impossible task, but 23XI is doing just that. Reddick has outperformed Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske, and Hendrick Motorsports in most races. In fact, at the Kansas Speedway, he overtook Hamlin and **Kyle Larson**in the race’s last moments. But is that hurting Hamlin’s championship contention? Possibly.

Hamlin missed the title on the last lap at Phoenix last year and wanted to redeem himself this season. He has a decent pace, too, with the victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway proving to be a massive advantage. However, his own driver in the #45 Toyota is proving to be a hurdle in his championship run.

As Gluck pointed out, Reddick is leading the standings with a massive gap on Hamlin in second place. So even though the team is delivering a breathtaking performance, it is quite possible that the JGR driver would have wanted it to happen a bit later—perhaps after he had hung up his helmet with a title to his name.