Bubba Wallace has found a home for 2021, thanks to Denny Hamlin. And Michael Jordan.
Wallace will drive for a newly formed Cup team owned by Hamlin and basketball legend Jordan in 2021, Hamlin announced Sept. 21.
The single-car Cup team does not currently have a number or make announced. Sponsorship has also not been announced, though it’s assumed that some funding will come from the multiple sponsors Wallace has announced in recent weeks.
Tonight, I’m excited to announce MJ and I are starting a new, single car @NASCAR Cup Series team for 2021. Deciding on a driver was easy – it had to be @BubbaWallace. pic.twitter.com/nIJv0X6ZOX
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) September 22, 2020
“Bubba has shown tremendous improvement since joining the Cup Series and we believe he’s ready to take his career to a higher level,” Hamlin said in a release. “He deserves the opportunity to compete for race wins and our team will make sure he has the resources to do just that.”
Added Jordan: “Historically, NASCAR has struggled with diversity and there have been few Black owners. The timing seemed perfect as NASCAR is evolving and embracing social change more and more.”
Michael Jordan quote on becoming a NASCAR team owner with Denny Hamlin and hiring Bubba Wallace as their driver: pic.twitter.com/XDufeB0KBn
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 22, 2020
“This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I believe is a great fit for me at this point in my career,” Wallace tweeted. “I’m grateful and humbled that they believe in me and I’m super pumped to begin this adventure with them.”
The car will race with a charter purchased from Germain Racing, which will sell its No. 13 team at the end of the season.
The agreement for Wallace to drive is a multi-year deal, though the exact length was not specified at press time.
Wallace joins Jordan and Hamlin’s team after a three-season stint with Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43. Through 29 races in 2020, he’s 23rd in points with one top five and five top 10s.
Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.
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