23XI Racing looking to expand in 2022: Possible picks for second driver

23XI Racing

     Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan's new NASCAR Cup Series team made their debut in 2021. Their current full-time driver is Bubba Wallace, though in a Instagram story the the single car team expressed their intent to is to expand as soon as possible. 

In this Instagram story, the team documented blue prints for the team’s new shop. These blue prints showed sections for 4 teams, and all the necessary accommodations for each team. While no specific date has been chosen for the team’s expansion, it appears they are ready to expand soon, maybe even by the 2022 season.

The first step is to buy out a small team, especially, if they have their own charter. 

Though this is mere speculation, Richard Petty Motorsports could be up for sale at the end of 2021, due to lack of funding for the No. 43 and Erik Jones. StarCom Racing [No. 00], another small team is also in the picture, but they do seem to have a decent amount of sponsorship for 2021 and beyond. If 23XI Racing really wanted to go big, they might even try and buy out Spire Motorsports or JTG Daugherty Racing, two very stable teams. While many of these teams are well established, and at the moment not on the market, with a certain dollar amount I suspect that some of these teams might consider selling.

And then the second step is to, obviously, hire a driver. A driver, who the team believes can win. 

You may ask: Why doesn't Hamlin move from Joe Gibbs Racing, to his own team? Well, he signed a contract-extension in early 2021, and for who knows how long. So Hamlin is out of the question in the short term.

A name that some are considering is Ty Dillon. Ty Dillon was the first driver to run 23XI Racing equipment, not Bubba Wallace. Dillon drove the No. 23 Toyota in the Busch Clash, as he qualified to race in the Clash, but didn't have a ride for 2021 when Germain Racing was bought by 23XI Racing. He still doesn't have any Cup plans for 2022, so that would be a nice gesture by the team who in part sent him into unemployment.

As of current contract status, Brad Keselowski's contract with Team Penske is up at the end of 2021. He could possibly re-sign with Penske, but if that doesn't happen, there is no reason for 23XI would pass up the opportunity with a proven winner and champion. That is assuming Brad Keselowski would want to join 23XI Racing.

The only factor that might stand in the way of this Keselowski/23XI Racing matchup, is that Kurt Busch's contract with Chip Ganassi Racing is also set to expire at the end of 2021. Rumors of Busch's retirement remain un-answered as of now, but Keselowski may have a better chance of keeping some of his sponsors assuming he moves to a established team like Chip Ganassi Racing, rather than the brand new 23XI Racing.

So what are your thoughts on 23XI Racing’s intent to expand at the end of only their first season? Who would you like to see in 23XI equipment? Let us know in the comments below!