NASCAR: Michael Jordan Confirms Race Team Featuring Bubba Wallace, and Fans Are Losing It

Monday night, NASCAR's Denny Hamlin and NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan stunned racing fans by announcing they are creating a new race team. This new charter will feature one driver — Bubba Wallace — and will compete in the 2021 Cup Series season. Jordan, who owns the Charlotte Hornets, then released a statement expressing excitement about the future in motorsports.

"Growing up in North Carolina, my parents would take my brothers, sisters and me to races, and I've been a NASCAR fan my whole life," Jordan said. "The opportunity to own my own racing team in partnership with my friend, Denny Hamlin, and to have Bubba Wallace driving for us, is very exciting for me.

"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. In addition to the recent commitment and donations I have made to combat systemic racism, I see this as a chance to educate a new audience and open more opportunities for Black people in racing."

With the announcement on Monday, fans immediately headed to social media to express both surprise and excitement. They proclaimed that they are ready to see a No. 23 Toyota winning races and called for special paint schemes. Others said that they were happy to finally see good news in 2020. A few Twitter users expressed outrage about the partnership, but they were fewer in number.