NASCAR: Ty Gibbs Air Jordan 11 ‘Concord’ Camry at Richmond

The No. 45 Toyota Camry that NASCAR fans will see on the track Sunday is a car all sneakerheads should love.

Today, Jordan Brand revealed the car Kurt Busch was supposed to drive, but will now be driven by Ty Gibbs, will race in at the Federated Auto Parts 400 From Richmond, which will take place at the Richmond Raceway in Virginia. The car was designed to resemble an iconic sneaker: the Air Jordan 11 “Concord.”

The Air Jordan 11 “Concord”-inspired car features Jumpman branding on the hood, which also has the “Jumpman” and “Jordan” wordmarks in a font reminiscent of the number on the heel of the shoe. The roof and doors of the car are white and feature the stitching and design of the shoe’s upper, and the number 45 is on the back of the car twice — one in a traditional race car font and the other reminiscent of the number on the back of the shoe.

The car reveal is a continuation of a partnership 23XI Racing — the team founded by NBA icon Michael Jordan and veteran race car driver Denny Hamlin — announced in February. The team stated it had entered a partnership with Jordan Brand to sponsor the No. 45 Toyota Camry team for the 2022 season. With the partnership, it was revealed that Jordan Brand would serve as the primary partner for two races, which includes designing the car wrap, shoes and team uniforms.

This weekend’s Federated Auto Parts 400 From Richmond will be the second of two races, and the first race was the AdventHealth 400 at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. on May 15. For the Kansas Speedway race, Jordan Brand wrapped Busch’s No. 45 car to resemble the Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement” — and specifically highlight its iconic elephant print. Also, the Jumpman logo was consumed the hood, lateral side and back side of the car.

The basketball icon got into racing in September 2020 when Bubba Wallace announced via social media that MJ Jordan and Hamlin teamed up to start a NASCAR Cup Series team, and that he would be a driver.

In December 2021, the team announced that Busch would join 23XI Racing, but he has been sidelined with a brain injury and is recovering.