McDonald’s is expected to return to Chip Ganassi Racing next season, but it also may sponsor the new 23XI Racing team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, sources say. The QSR is a longtime sponsor of CGR’s No. 42 NASCAR entry, which next season will be driven by Ross Chastain, and sources said that partnership is set to continue in ’21. However, they added that McDonald’s has also been in talks about sponsoring Bubba Wallace in 23XI's No. 23 Toyota. Wallace has a pre-existing endorsement relationship with McDonald’s, and Jordan famously endorsed the brand in the '90s. But a source stressed that becoming a 23XI sponsor won’t necessarily be the same as striking another endorsement deal with Jordan himself.
23XI is in the process of finalizing sponsor deals, and Wallace is expected to bring some of his partners over from Richard Petty Motorsports, including DoorDash. Hamlin has said that the team is effectively sold out of primary sponsorship inventory for '21. NASCAR rules permit a brand to sponsor multiple teams. McDonald’s had not responded to a request for comment at presstime.
