“Can you and 23XI win a championship this year with everything going on?”

“Yeah,” Denny Hamlin told the media confidently before the start of the playoffs last month.

And to be fair, there were reasons for optimism. However, the Round of 16 gave 23XI Racing some sparks. At Darlington, Tyler Reddick stormed to 2nd while Bubba Wallace battled for a strong 6th. Gateway offered headaches, with Wallace slotting into 8th, and Reddick finished 16th. Then came Bristol, and the bottom dropped out. Wallace wrecked to 34th, Reddick faded to 15th, and suddenly their advancement was in real danger. Now, with the Round of 12 race at Loudon behind, fans and insiders alike are asking a blunt question. Just how much playoff ground does 23XI have left to stand on?

Denny Hamlin calls out 23XI’s playoff c

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