Getty Bubba Wallace arrives at pit road for the Ally 400.
When the 23XI Racing team heads to Pocono Raceway for the doubleheader weekend, the team will showcase a new partner. DraftKings has agreed to become the Official Daily Fantasy Sports, iGaming, and Sports Betting Partner of Wallace and the No. 23 Toyota Camry. The two forces will join together during the Explore the Pocono Mountains 350 Cup Series race on Sunday, June 27.
According to a press release from DraftKings, a special paint scheme will debut at the Tricky Triangle. The race will mark a drastic change from Wallace’s normal designs considering that he primarily drives red stock cars. The new look will feature a green, orange, and black color scheme. The No. 23 Toyota will continue to run a smaller DraftKings logo for the remainder of the season.
In celebration of @DraftKings as the primary partner of the No. 23 @23XIRacing Camry at the @NASCAR Cup Series Race on Sunday, June 27, @DKSportsbook is hosting a free-to-play $1K Pool including a @BubbaWallace-signed giveaway. For more details & to enter: t.co/ubY1OIdmRj
“Joining forces with the 23XI Racing organization near the beginning of its growth makes this collaboration all the more impactful for DraftKings,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer at DraftKings. “Beyond the brand and product integrations of this deal, we also greatly admire Bubba Wallace’s ongoing advocacy for social justice and Inclusion, Equity and Belonging efforts because they align perfectly with our company values.”
Wallace will actually run two paint schemes during the doubleheader weekend at Pocono. He will showcase a speckled Root Insurance design on Saturday, June 26. He will then switch to the DraftKings scheme for the second race while pursuing a career-best finish at the Tricky Triangle.
The Partnership Will Feature a Multi-Part Collaboration
GettyBubba Wallace prepares for a race at Charlotte.
Along with the paint scheme reveal, the press release confirmed that the DraftKings partnership will also include an “authentic, in-app experience for racing fans.” For example, DraftKings Sportsbook will launch a free-to-play pool prior to the Pocono race featuring custom prizes.
23XI Racing and DraftKings will also collaborate on a series of “cross-channel social media content videos.” The full list is not yet available, but it includes race previews and data for the racing fans and users of the sportsbook.
“I’m excited to see what we are capable of creating together as we welcome DraftKings to the 23XI Racing family,” Wallace said in a press release. “As a big fan of the company, this relationship marks a historic moment as we integrate with a leader in sports technology and entertainment to enhance the experience of racing fans across the board.”
The Sponsor Addition Paves the Way for the Future
The addition of DraftKings as a partner comes at an interesting time for 23XI Racing. The team originally sold out all of its primary sponsor opportunities earlier in the year, so the addition of DraftKings came as a surprise for some fans. However, Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal reports that the partnership could pave the way for future expansion.
“DraftKings coming on board will help 23XI with its expansion plans, as the team is in talks to acquire a second charter as soon as next year, per sources,” Stern tweeted on Thursday. “23XI was already sold out on its sole car this year, but DraftKings could grow with the team and help fund a second car.”
23XI is only in its first year after Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin joined forces, but there are already discussions taking place about whether the team will expand for 2022. The free-agent field is sizable and includes such names as Ryan Newman, Matt DiBenedetto, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kurt Busch, and Alex Bowman among others.
Prior to the 2021 season, Hamlin said that the plan was to expand to a multi-car program “as soon as possible,” per Racer. If the team continues to grow with DraftKings joining the fold, there will be no shortage of potential drivers. Though 23XI will simply continue trying to contend for wins for the remainder of the season.
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