If you have been keeping up with Bubba Wallace’s holiday shenanigans, then you already know that the No. 23 driver is the unofficial ambassador of kicking off the Thanksgiving celebrations with the unofficial Thanksgiving anthem, “Beans, Greens, Potatoes, Tomatoes,” year after year.

But this time around, the more the merrier seems to be the mantra. With fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver Erik Jones already listing down his Thanksgiving plans with his son’s first birthday coinciding with the festival, Wallace is joined by his beloved 23XI Racing team as they put down their non-negotiables in the celebration.

The ideal Thanksgiving 23XI Racing style!

Taking to 23XI Racing’s official Instagram account, Bubba Wallace didn’t hold back, saying, “Some non-negotiables are Christmas lights up after Thanksgiving. It is dressing. Stuffing is called dressing. Yes, a lot of people in the background might not agree with that, but dressing is the top side dish for Thanksgiving. What else? That’s my only two that I have. Here we go.”

Wallace never misses when it comes to his Thanksgiving prediction. Last year, he shared the viral remixed anthem on Instagram, pairing it with a story that read, “Y’all thought I forgot.” He kept the streak alive with his annual post captioned, “You already know what it is.” Will the streak continue this year?

Back in 2023, the newest Brickyard 400 winner gave fans a glimpse of the holiday vibe by posting a story of him enjoying time with friends and family. He even playfully stirred up the comments by showing off a lineup of whiskeys like Weller, Woodford Reserve, and Old Forester, among others, asking, “Whatcha sipping on?”

However, it seems that his teammates have some other non-negotiables that shook up the mix of answers.

Riley Herbst details his ideal celebration, saying, ” Okay, here we go. Non-negotiables for Thanksgiving day. Football on TV, lots of red wine, family, and yeah, some good food. ” Maybe that’s exactly what Herbst needs after a rough rookie camp campaign as a 23XI Racing driver.

The No. 35 wrapped up the year in the NASCAR Cup Series with a modest result at Phoenix Raceway, bringing it home in 23rd. He was also the only 23XI Racing driver who missed the playoffs and struggled to gain momentum throughout the year. The 26-year-old driver went the entire season without a single top 10 finish, ending with a 26.4 average result and placing 35th in the final standings. However, the good news is that Herbst is set to return in the 2026 season as he looks for a better result in his sophomore year.

Then comes in Tyler Reddick. Reddick’s expectations for Thanksgiving were very precise and particular, saying, “Non-negotiable for me, at least, well, we’ll see how it goes this year, but I’m really dead set on doing a turkey on the smoker. Spatchcocked. Turns out really nice every time I’ve done it that way. Um, we may end up doing two turkeys even though we only need one because my wife is also dead set nob negotiable on doing it the traditional way in the oven.”

That’s surely set to be a treat, especially after a very hectic year. With the ongoing lawsuit, his son’s poor health, and the Round of 12 knockout, this break is definitely a reset for the driver. Even Dale Jr. couldn’t help but point to Reddick’s season. However, it has definitely been the toughest year for 23XI Racing.

With the antitrust lawsuit going on and the December 1 trial just days away, the drivers’, along with the teams’, future is definitely in jeopardy, but Denny Hamlin and his 23XI Racing team have a plan. However, with Michael Jordan stepping up as one of the 3 co-owners, the trial is definitely going to be intense. But something else is stealing the spotlight.

How 23XI Racing’s form was centered around Bubba Wallace

A recent email has resurfaced, offering a rare look into the early conversations that shaped Bubba Wallace’s move to the organization, uncovering the confidential negotiations taking place in August 2020. The correspondence, published by NASCAR reporter Jerry Jordan, outlines behind-the-scenes challenges Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin faced as they worked to establish their new Cup Series team, including delicate ownership discussions and questions raised by Toyota two days before the operation went public.

The email shows that Jordan and Hamlin were actively finalizing the framework of their partnership while pursuing Wallace as the driver they intended to anchor the new program. At the same time, Toyota expressed reservations about Jordan’s deeper commitment due to his financial ties to a Nissan dealership, an issue that complicated the early manufacturer relationship.

Jerry Jordan summarized the email’s key points when he wrote, “Email from Aug. 2020 indicates potential ownership structure of @23XIRacing along w/ @BubbaWallace negotiations, plus @ToyotaRacing’s concern about @Jumpman23’s investment in competitor @NissanUSA dealership”.”

Wallace’s role in the timeline proved even more significant. As the team’s No. 1 target, he pushed for clarity and insisted on affirming the deadline for his 2021 plans. An excerpt captured this urgency: “Bubba has given us a Tuesday, September 1 deadline, as it is incredibly late in the year for him not to have selected a team for next season; thus, we need to determine whether we are going to move forward by then,” the excerpt from the email reads.”

Those conditions were met, and Wallace officially committed to the newly formed 23XI Racing and joined their inaugural 2021 Cup lineup. His firm deadline and involvement added pressure to the process, making his contract negotiations a defining moment in the team’s launch.