Michael Jordan scored a big win over NASCAR ahead of Sunday’s Cup Series race on the streets of Chicago. $260 billion giant McDonald’s continues to sponsor 23XI Racing star Bubba Wallace after pulling out of its deal to sponsor the event earlier this year. McDonald’s was the founding sponsor of NASCAR’s Chicago street race for the first two years.

However, before its third year, NASCAR suffered a substantial financial hit after  McDonald’s ended its partnership, which generated $2 million from the fast food giant every year alongside the other three partners. McDonald’s had initially committed to a three-year collaboration to include the 2025 NASCAR season, but they decided to withdraw from the deal.

In a small win for NBA legend Jordan and 23XI, who are still locked in a bitter antitrust lawsuit with NASCAR, McDonald’s will continue to sponsor driver Wallace. The fast food chain will represent the fast food chain in the Windy City this weekend. The iconic McDonald’s logo is regularly seen on Wallace’s car, helmet, and uniform and will be on parade this weekend.

Wallace, 23XI, Jordan, and McDonald’s will be hoping for a win this weekend. The 31-year-old’s last Cup victory came at Kansas in 2022. Wallace missed the Cup playoffs last year with an 18th-place finish in the regular season.

A win this year will book his automatic spot in the postseason. Wallace has six top-ten finishes, including back-to-back top-three results at Homestead-Miami and Martinsville.

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Wallace car owner Denny Hamlin expects Wallace to snap the winless streak. Last year’s regular season champion, Tyler Reddick, is winless in 2025, too.

“I just know the resources that we’ve put in at 23XI, and all of our drivers should win,” said Hamlin, who has three wins to his name under Joe Gibbs Racing’s banner. “That is the expectation that I have of them. Obviously, it is a results-based business, and if you don’t over time, you consider your options.

“Overall, I’ve seen enough progression, specifically, from the [Wallace] standpoint, that I can see where this can go. Putting himself in a playoff position year after year is good, but winning makes it better.”

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“It is just so much easier if you have issues and you want to kick and scream, do it to us [at the shop],” Hamlin added. “When you do it outwardly in the public and in the media, it creates a lot of other distractions that you have to deal with.

“He’s made it easier. … He hasn’t even existed for a third of the races when it comes to finishes. I think it just shows how strong that they are, and what they are capable of doing.”