23XI Racing reportedly talking to rising NASCAR star amid Ford rumblings

23XI Racing is reportedly talking to a rising NASCAR star about a seat in the Cup Series as the organization remains linked to Ford.

[autotag]23XI Racing[/autotag] has become the main focus of NASCAR silly season and no one could have expected it to reach this point. It was reported over the weekend that Ford had a meeting with the organization at Michigan International Speedway when the sport was in town. This comes as 23XI Racing continues to negotiate with Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing.

Now, there are even more rumblings about a potential switch to Ford as the race team is reportedly talking to a rising NASCAR star. According to Catchfence’s Lee Spencer on PRN, 23XI Racing is talking to Front Row Motorsports driver Zane Smith about a potential seat for the 2024 season. Smith, the defending NASCAR Truck Series champion, won’t be joining current race team, Front Row Motorsports, in the Cup Series next year.

23XI Racing would need a third charter for the 2024 season if its driver lineup stayed the same in this scenario. As of now, the charter market is reportedly around a big mark of $40-50 million. That would be a hard buy for 23XI Racing owner Denny Hamlin; however, it all depends on whether the organization stays with Toyota or not.

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