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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

Denny Hamlin knew exactly what was coming.

So when Michael Jordan grabbed him by the throat in a now-viral post-race moment at Kansas Speedway, the 23XI Racing co-owner wasn’t surprised — even if everyone else watching was.

Because, as Hamlin explained, the moment didn’t come out of nowhere.

It was the payoff to an entire weekend of trash talk.

‘I Told Him All Weekend We Were Gonna Win’

Speaking after Sunday’s race, Hamlin peeled back the curtain on what led to the exchange — and why Jordan’s reaction was exactly what you’d expect from one of the most competitive figures in sports history.

“I was telling him all weekend that we were gonna win,” Hamlin said. “He was very happy about all the s— I talked to him.”

Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 for Joe Gibbs Racing, has long leaned into his role as one of the sport’s most outspoken veterans. That doesn’t stop when it comes to Jordan — if anything, it ramps up.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but I talk a lot of trash to him,” Hamlin added. “When it’s head-to-head, he wants to see the 23XI drivers beat me because I talk that trash.”

On a weekend where the stakes were already high, that back-and-forth only added fuel.

Reddick Delivers — and Jordan Responds

In the end, Tyler Reddick backed it up.

Reddick took the win for 23XI Racing, continuing a blistering start to the 2026 season and reinforcing the organization’s status as one of the fastest teams in the garage right now. Hamlin, meanwhile, finished fourth — close enough to contend, but not close enough to silence the chirping.

That’s when Jordan made his move.

The brief throat grab — caught on camera and quickly circulating across social media — looked intense in real time. But inside the garage, it landed exactly how it was intended: competitive, personal, and very on-brand.

“I mean, look, I am racing against Denny,” Jordan said. “So, I really wanted to beat him.”

He added: “Because I know we’re going to talk a lot of trash a little bit later, but it was a good race.”

This Is What 23XI Racing Was Built For

Moments like this are exactly why 23XI Racing works.

Jordan isn’t a passive owner. He’s engaged, invested, and — as Sunday showed — 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.

The difference now is that the results are matching the intensity.

With Reddick stacking wins and consistently running up front, 23XI Racing is no longer a developing team — it’s a legitimate weekly threat. And when those wins come against Hamlin, the internal rivalry only sharpens.

“This kid is on fire. I don’t know what to say. I don’t think I can cool him down,” Jordan said. “When you win, it’s always fun, and right now it’s fun for everybody at 23XI.”

Why This Moment Hit So Hard

There’s a reason this one took off.

It wasn’t just the physicality — it was the personalities involved.

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 entirely. When those two collide, even in a lighthearted way, it’s going to resonate.

From the outside, the moment looked heated.

Inside the garage, it was something else entirely: two ultra-competitive figures settling a weekend-long conversation the only way they know how — by winning.