vStory By: ALICIA DEAL / 23XI RACING – MOORESVILLE, NC – On Monday, 23XI Racing announced DoorDash, McDonald’s, Columbia Sportswear, Dr Pepper and Root Insurance as its founding partners, joining Bubba Wallace and the No. 23 Toyota Camry for the 2021 season.
Below are comments from Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace and key executives from each partner.
Denny Hamlin
“Today is a big day for us at 23XI Racing. To be able to announce the addition of five founding partners who are willing to join us in our first year and who share in our beliefs and values is such a great feeling. We’ve certainly had to make things happen fast to build this new team, and I’m excited to welcome each one of these partners and to get to know them better. I’m fortunate that during my time at Joe Gibbs Racing I’ve been able to have a great mentor and see how Coach, as an owner, is able to service each partner. That’s new for me – learning the owner side while still on the driver side, but I’m in for the long haul and will continue this far beyond my driving years. I’m passionate about this sport and I’m excited to bring new partners to the table and bring back others who have been in our sport in the past.”
Bubba Wallace
“I’m pumped to get the season started. I wish Daytona was tomorrow. We’re heading in the right direction and we’ll be ready when we get to Daytona. As I’ve said before, this is an opportunity of a lifetime for me and there’s no more excuses. We want to go out and win and I know we’ll have everything we need each week to make that happen. To have great partners in DoorDash, McDonald’s, Columbia Sportswear, Dr Pepper and Root Insurance come on board and show their support of me and this team is really cool. I’m excited for what we can do on the track, but at the end of the day, these partnerships and relationships are so much more than that. It’s about how we use our platforms to be better humans and help create a positive change. It’s about what we do Monday through Friday outside of the firesuit and that’s a really special thing for me. Knowing I have their support and this team behind me makes me really excited for this season to see what we can accomplish together.”
DoorDash
“As a company that values diversity, openness, and empowering local communities, we are proud to partner with 23XI Racing to build upon our shared foundation of creating a more inclusive environment for NASCAR fans. This partnership enables us to further engage with the racing community through one of the most innovative teams in the sport, while expanding our previous partnership with Bubba Wallace, Jr. and accelerating our commitment to creating real change for the underrepresented communities and restaurants we serve.”
– Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, VP, Marketing, DoorDash.
McDonald’s
“Two years ago, McDonald’s partnered with one of motorsport’s rising stars, Bubba Wallace, and we couldn’t be more proud to witness him succeed on and off the track, while breaking barriers and becoming one of the sport’s truest change agents. As a founding partner of 23XI Racing, we’re excited to continue our partnership with Bubba as he and the team advance the sport and make it more relevant to a larger audience.”
– Joe Erlinger, President, McDonald’s USA
Columbia Sportswear
“We are incredibly excited by the opportunity to partner with 23XI Racing and to bring the outdoors to NASCAR. Over the last year Bubba has continually inspired us not only by his passion for the outdoors, but also his commitment to building bridges on and off the track. His tireless efforts towards inclusivity perfectly align with Columbia’s corporate mission of unlocking the outdoors for everyone. We look forward to joining the 23XI Racing crew for what is sure to be an exciting NASCAR season.”
-Joe Boyle, President, Columbia Sportswear Brand
Dr Pepper
“We’re thrilled to be a founding sponsor of 23XI Racing and part of a team making a difference on and off the track. Keurig Dr Pepper knows that bringing the best together creates a winning formula. We’ve done that in all aspects of our business, and we’re doing it here with 23XI Racing.”
– Andrew Springate, Keurig Dr Pepper Chief Marketing and Concentrate Officer
Root Insurance
“Bubba has demonstrated his ability to lead and stand up for what is right. We are thrilled that Root Insurance will be there to continue to support him and 23XI Racing throughout the 2021 season as they continue to lead on and off the track.”
– Alex Timm, Root Insurance CEO
