23XI Racing, Xfinity Extend Partnership to Include Airspeed War Room
23XI Racing and Xfinity, which have enjoyed a partnership since 2023, have agreed to extend the deal for another season. The extension will see the purple Xfinity colors adorn both of the team's No. 23 and 45 Toyota Camry XSE race cars in select races this season.
Tyler Reddick and @23XIRacing just unveiled the No. 45 @XfinityRacing paint scheme that will be used this weekend in Atlanta. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/O4Cwiva72W
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) February 19, 2025
In addition to the primary sponsorship aspect of the partnership, Xfinity will have the naming rights to 23XI Racing's virtual war room at Airspeed, the team's state-of-the-art race shop in Huntersville, NC. The War Room will be known as the Xfinity Speed Center, and it serves as a communications hub where team personnel can connect in real time via an intercom system with the drivers and crew members at the track.
On Wednesday, 23XI Racing opened the doors to its Xfinity Speed Center for the media to see the bells and whistles at the team's disposal, and the first thing you notice is the incredible and massive screen at the front of the room, which has everything from timing and scoring to the official race broadcast to in-car camera footage of the team's cars, and it even includes a live weather radar.
“When we announced our partnership with Xfinity in 2023, we wanted to collaborate on initiatives to drive progress and innovation, and the Xfinity Speed Center is a great example of that,” said 23XI Team President Steve Lauletta. “With the expansion of our partnership, we can continue working on innovative ideas, compelling content, and creative programs to enhance our race team and enhance the fan experience.”
At each seat in the Xfinity Speed Center, employees have their own two-screen visual display that they can configure by plugging their laptops into the system.
With NASCAR limiting the amount of rostered team members allowed at the track since COVID, many teams have begun investing in technology-filled war rooms at their shops, which allow them to essentially have a slew of employees at the track, without having to be at the track.
“Each member of our competition group at 23XI plays an important role in our race preparation and execution,” said Dave Rogers, Senior Director, Competition. “The ability for key personnel to digest data and provide insight throughout race weekends regardless of their location is vital to our success. We’re fortunate to have great partners like Xfinity who share a passion for racing and understand how important fast and reliable connectivity is for our team.”
While 23XI Racing doesn't require employees to be at the Xfinity Speed Center on Sundays, the team says roughly a dozen team members show up each and every week to help the team navigate the race weekend from the war room.
According to 23XI Racing, the newly named Xfinity Speed Center has already paid dividends for them as remote team members helped the No. 45 team turn their race around after Tyler Reddick launched into the air after contact with Denny Hamlin and caused damage to the car at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL last season.
"The reality was between the vehicle dynamicist, and one of the junior engineers, they were able to look at pictures, do some calculating, and told [crew chief] Billy Scott how much adjustment to make," Michael Wheeler, Director of Competition said. "It was a surreal moment for all of us, because as soon we made some adjustments, and you heard all of the calamity on the radios, we went back out, and before Billy knew what was going on, the engineer came back on the radio and said it was much better. And Tyler got in the gas and started going to the front."
The team also has a meteorologist on staff to help the team at the track stay abreast of the weather situation from the Xfinity Speed Center.
There is also a fan aspect to the partnership between 23XI Racing and Xfinity as Xfinity will work alongside 23XI Racing in content creation, and will continue to offer fan experiences through Xfinity Rewards, which will include 23XI Pit Box VIP access and driver meet-and-greets.
"Since our partnership with 23XI Racing began, we've worked closely to drive innovation and excellence for the team both on and off track," said Jess Muir, Senior Director, Brand Partnerships and Amplification at Comcast. "This extension underscores our commitment to supporting 23XI Racing’s growth, engaging our fans in new and meaningful ways, and providing Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick with the resources they need to excel on race day."
Recommended Articles
manual
Toby Christie is the Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. He has 15 years of experience as a motorsports journalist and has been with Racing America since 2023.