![\"Denny](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2177151746-e1776983541180.jpg\")
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Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, co-owners of 23XI Racing, talk on the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway<\/p>\n
Denny Hamlin<\/a> knew exactly what was coming.<\/p>\n So when Michael Jordan<\/a> grabbed him by the throat in a now-viral post-race moment at Kansas Speedway, the 23XI Racing co-owner wasn\u2019t surprised \u2014 even if everyone else watching was.<\/p>\n Because, as Hamlin explained, the moment didn\u2019t come out of nowhere.<\/p>\n It was the payoff to an entire weekend of trash talk.<\/p>\n \u2018I Told Him All Weekend We Were Gonna Win\u2019<\/p>\n Speaking after Sunday\u2019s race, Hamlin<\/a> peeled back the curtain on what led to the exchange \u2014 and why Jordan\u2019s reaction was exactly what you\u2019d expect from one of the most competitive figures in sports history.<\/p>\n \u201cI was telling him all weekend that we were gonna win,\u201d Hamlin said. \u201cHe was very happy about all the s\u2014 I talked to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 for Joe Gibbs Racing, has long leaned into his role as one of the sport\u2019s most outspoken veterans. That doesn\u2019t stop when it comes to Jordan<\/a> \u2014 if anything, it ramps up.<\/p>\n \u201cI know it\u2019s hard to believe, but I talk a lot of trash to him,\u201d Hamlin added. \u201cWhen it\u2019s head-to-head, he wants to see the 23XI drivers<\/a> beat me because I talk that trash.\u201d<\/p>\n On a weekend where the stakes were already high, that back-and-forth only added fuel.<\/p>\n Reddick Delivers \u2014 and Jordan Responds<\/p>\n In the end, Tyler Reddick backed it up<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reddick took the win for 23XI Racing, continuing a blistering start to the 2026 season and reinforcing the organization\u2019s status as one of the fastest teams in the garage right now. Hamlin, meanwhile, finished fourth \u2014 close enough to contend, but not close enough to silence the chirping.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when Jordan made his move.<\/p>\n The brief throat grab \u2014 caught on camera and quickly circulating across social media \u2014 looked intense in real time. But inside the garage, it landed exactly how it was intended: competitive, personal, and very on-brand.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, look, I am racing against Denny,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cSo, I really wanted to beat him.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201cBecause I know we\u2019re going to talk a lot of trash a little bit later, but it was a good race.\u201d<\/p>\n This Is What 23XI Racing Was Built For<\/p>\n Moments like this are exactly why 23XI Racing works.<\/p>\n Jordan isn\u2019t a passive owner. He\u2019s engaged, invested, and \u2014 as Sunday showed \u2014 still wired like a competitor. Pair that with Hamlin, who operates both as a driver and co-owner, and the dynamic is naturally going to produce friction.<\/p>\n The difference now is that the results are matching the intensity.<\/p>\n With Reddick stacking wins and consistently running up front, 23XI Racing is no longer a developing team \u2014 it\u2019s a legitimate weekly threat. And when those wins come against Hamlin, the internal rivalry only sharpens.<\/p>\n \u201cThis kid is on fire. I don\u2019t know what to say. I don\u2019t think I can cool him down,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cWhen you win, it\u2019s always fun, and right now it\u2019s fun for everybody at 23XI.\u201d<\/p>\n Why This Moment Hit So Hard<\/p>\n There\u2019s a reason this one took off.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t just the physicality \u2014 it was the personalities involved.<\/p>\n Hamlin has built a reputation as one of the most candid and confrontational voices in the Cup Series. Jordan, meanwhile, brings a level of competitive credibility that transcends NASCAR<\/a> entirely. When those two collide, even in a lighthearted way, it\u2019s going to resonate.<\/p>\n From the outside, the moment looked heated.<\/p>\n Inside the garage, it was something else entirely: two ultra-competitive figures settling a weekend-long conversation the only way they know how \u2014 by winning.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMaggie MacKenzie<\/a> Maggie MacKenzie covers NASCAR for Heavy.com. She previously worked for NASCAR.com, where she reported, wrote, and edited race-weekend coverage and traveled to key events throughout the season. She has more than ten years of experience in sports media and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. More about Maggie MacKenzie<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on NASCAR\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan, co-owners of 23XI Racing, talk on the grid prior to the NASCAR…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":625172,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-625171","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625171","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=625171"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625171\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/625172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=625171"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=625171"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=625171"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}