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23XI unveils No. 45 Jordan brand paint scheme ahead of Chicago Street Race

PeterWarrenPhoto2by:Peter Warren•06/28/23•

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NASCAR Cup Series Ally 400
(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

The Chicago Street Race is set to be one of the more interesting events on the NASCAR calendar this year and, unsurprisingly, 23XI Racing is going all-in for the race.

The organization unveiled its paint scheme for its No. 45 car Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s race. The car, which will be driven by Tyler Reddick, features a purple-orange fade base with the Chicago Skyline on the side.

The car is just one way 23XI, which is owned by Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, are building interest in this weekend’s race.

“Good pressure,” Reddick responded, asked by FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass if he’s feeling any added pressure racing in Chicago with Jordan’s history in the city. “Honestly. McDonald’s is headquartered there, here in the United States. It’s a big race for a lot of big brands that are a part of 23XI. So going there and running well is going to be very important for 23XI, for sure.”

The organization is also holding “Bubba’s Block Party” on Wednesday, which will be hosted by Jordan and Bubba Wallace and will take place at The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center in Chicago.

He told the Chicago Tribune that he wants the event to be a place for everyone, not just those who would typically feel comfortable at a NASCAR event.

“I’ve always enjoyed my time, except when I lose,” Wallace told the newspaper. “But from the stories that I’ve heard and people’s comments, we got to be better. You’ve always heard the labels about our sport whether it’s being racist, redneck or whatnot. That’s very far from the truth. There’s always a couple bad apples, but a couple bad apples doesn’t portray the whole picture of our sport.”

The event will feature a concert by Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco, who is best known for his top-ten hits “Superstar” and “The Show Goes On.”

The Chicago Street Race is the first street race in the history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“I think that there’ll be significant practice crashes,” Denny Hamlin said on his Actions Detrimental podcast. “Certainly in the Xfinity Series. It is going to be, I don’t know how much track time they’re going to get, so you better be ready.