After months of legal tension that strained the relationship between NASCAR and several of its top teams, the 2026 season roared to life at Daytona International Speedway. Oddly enough, Front Row Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, and 23XI Racing, three teams that were embroiled in the antitrust case against the sanctioning body, found themselves at the front during Speedweeks.
Denny Hamlin, the co-owner of 23XI, called it a “coincidence.” But before brushing it off as fate, the 23XI co-owner slipped in a subtle yet stinging shot at NASCAR.
Denny Hamlin Delivers Subtle Message to NASCAR After 23XI Racing’s Daytona Breakthrough
Against the backdrop of a legal battle that cast uncertainty over the sport’s structure, the sequence at Daytona was hard to ignore.
FRM (23XI’s ally in the antitrust case) struck first, with Chandler Smith capturing the Truck Series opener. RCR, whose owner had previously been the target of disparaging comments from NASCAR leadership, followed as Austin Hill claimed the Xfinity Series victory in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts race.
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Then came the biggest stage of them all during Sunday’s headliner, the Daytona 500, where Tyler Reddick delivered 23XI its first victory in “The Great American Race.”
Coincidence? Hamlin said it was. But when asked about the remarkable run by the lawsuit-linked teams during Daytona Speedweeks, he opened with a sly line: “All we do is win.”
The 45-year-old delivered it with a grin, fully aware of the undertone. The comment not only celebrated on-track success but subtly nodded to the recent legal victory over NASCAR.
“It’s a coincidence, obviously. I’m really happy for them. I mean, they’re the ones that had to answer all the questions and stuff from last year,” he added. “We were working vigorously behind the scenes – late nights, reading documents, and just on and on and on. It’s great that they’re rewarded by winning the first race this year.”
The lawsuit, which challenged NASCAR’s charter structure and business practices, cast a shadow over the offseason. While the legal wrangling played out away from the racetrack, it certainly created tension between the sanctioning body and several prominent teams.
Yet, Speedweeks offered a different narrative. Instead of courtroom headlines, the spotlight shifted back to performance.
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The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran, meanwhile, was careful not to overstate the symbolism, labeling the sweep a “coincidence.” But his opening line dropped with the thud of a throwaway quip.
That said, for all the friction of the past year, Victory Lane told a different story, as NASCAR CEO Jim France and 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan shared a moment of mutual respect.
For 23XI, the 68th Daytona 500 triumph marked a defining milestone. For Front Row and RCR, early-season victories reinforced their competitive footing. Collectively, the wins sent an unmistakable message: the teams that challenged NASCAR in the courtroom are still winning on the track.
