Hamlin brutally honest on potential Wallace & Reddick 23XI exits

23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin has been quizzed on the future of the drivers contracted to his racing team.

The team lost a legal fight this week over their charter status, with the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling that NASCAR should be allowed to strip theirs and Front Row Motorsports' charters.

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That decision could be brutal for the teams, with Hamlin revealing that the difference between racing as an open entry compared to a chartered one stands in the 'tens of millions'

Another issue facing the teams is their drivers' contract status, with Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst potential free agents if 23XI are forced to race as an 'open' team.

Herbst's contract with the team requires that he be provided with a chartered car, according to reports on previous court documents, whilst Wallace informed 23XI last year that he needed to know how they intended to compete in 2025 - as an open entry or chartered team - so that he could explore seats with other teams if necessary.

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Could Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick leave 23XI?

Jeffrey Kessler, representing the teams in the case, said in court last month: "It's in the record that our drivers have contracts. If we are not chartered teams, they can abandon us and go to different teams."

In light of this week's court judgement, Hamlin was asked ahead of this weekend's Michigan race if the organization could lose any of its drivers after this season, to which he replied openly and honestly.

“I’ve got so much to worry about," the 23XI co-owner said. "I’m not focused on that particularly right this second.”

Wallace was also quizzed on the situation at Michigan and refused to be drawn on his intentions, saying: “You know the answer already, you can let Denny [Hamlin] answer on that stuff.

"You’re not going to get an answer that you’re going to want to hear from me."

The team have not yet announced whether they're going to appeal the decision, which would likely give them a brief window before NASCAR could force them down to open status.

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