Michael Jordan arrives for Daytona Speedweeks, plays golf with Denny Hamlin
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — If Michael Jordan spends a day or more in any town, there's a good chance he's putting a tee in the ground and getting in a round of golf.
That's what happened Friday after the basketball legend arrived in Daytona Beach, Florida for the final few days of Daytona Speedweeks. Jordan reportedly got in 18 holes at Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach with former driver and current Fox Sports broadcaster Michael Waltrip and current NASCAR star Denny Hamlin.
Jordan is in town because he's the new co-owner, with Hamlin, of the upstart No. 23 Cup Series team (23XI Racing) piloted by driver Bubba Wallace.
Hamlin has been a full-time NASCAR racer since 2006 and has 44 career wins. On Sunday, he will attempt to win his fourth Daytona 500 and become the first driver to win it three times in a row.
Hamlin and Jordan, who both live in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, have become golf buddies over the years and recently became NASCAR partners.
Hamlin and Jordan partnered on the new race team, with Wallace as driver, as a direct result of last summer's focus and protests regarding social justice. Wallace is the lone African American racer in NASCAR's top-tier Cup Series.
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This weekend isn't Jordan's first visit to Daytona International Speedway. He owned a motorcycle racing team some 17 years ago that competed in AMA Pro Superbike Series.
His venture into NASCAR isn't foreign territory for Jordan.
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"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," he has 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."