23XI Racing and Tyler Reddick will use the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to celebrate a classic sports film. The team will once again showcase Space Jam.
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The Cup Series team revealed the new scheme on Sept. 30. This version will be markedly different than the Space Jam scheme that Bubba Wallace used at Chicagoland Speedway.
Instead of a purple base and Upper Deck branding, Reddick's version will be a shade of green. It will have outlines of the Monstars, the villains from the 1996 sports film. The car will also have the massive Jordan Brand logo on the hood, which Bugs Bunny holds up.
Photo credit: 23XI Racing
Why did 23XI Racing go with this unique design? The answer is simple. The team wanted to highlight green screens and the role that they played in making Space Jam a reality.
This film featured Michael Jordan, Bill Murray, and other real people interacting with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and other animated characters. The green screens helped make these conversations possible.
The roof of the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE will also have a unique touch on the roof. It will include a message reading, "November 16, 1996. Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny, and the Tune Squad face off against the Monstars in an intergalactic battle for the ages."
Photo credit: 23XI Racing
Released in November 1996, Space Jam featured the characters of Looney Tunes taking part in an basketball game to prevent their abduction. However, they have to face off with the Monstars, the aliens who steal the athletic prowess of Charles Barkley, Shawn Bradley, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, and Muggsy Bogues.
Jordan agrees to join forces with Bugs Bunny and co., leading to the creation of the Tune Squad. This group ultimately defeats the Monstars in the sports film's pivotal moment.
Thirty years after this fictional basketball game, Reddick will showcase the Space Jam scheme as he tries to turn his season around. Much like the NBA stars from the film, he has not performed at as high of a level.
Reddick started the season with five wins in nine weeks, and he built up a massive points lead. However, he lost this lead midway through the regular season while dealing with struggles on the track.
The 23XI Racing driver has only fallen further in the standings since the start of the Chase. He is currently seventh and 111 points behind championship leader Kyle Larson after finishing third, 25th, 18th, and 11th in the four Chase races.
