MICHAEL STRAHAN: What's up, man. Michael. Good to see you. Look at this fellow. What's up, man?
MICHAEL JORDAN: You good?
MICHAEL STRAHAN: I'm stepping off to the side. I'm good. Meet your driver.
MICHAEL JORDAN: Hey, man. I didn't know you were this small.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: I've got to say it's pretty surreal for me to be sitting here with you three right before the Daytona 500, right before the kickoff of the 2021 NASCAR season. How is it for you guys?
MICHAEL JORDAN: I've been texting these clowns. I'm excited. I'm nervous even though I'm not getting in the car. But I think the thing is obviously you and I we're getting ready to play a big game. We're going to be nervous but we're in control.
BUBBA WALLACE: At the end of the day they're in control because they're the ones signing them checks.
MICHAEL JORDAN: The thing is we don't sign checks to losers.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: If someone says 'NASCAR', the one name of you three that people won't associate with NASCAR would be you.
MICHAEL JORDAN: I know.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: People don't realize you've been a big NASCAR fan for a long time.
MICHAEL JORDAN: I grew up in NASCAR. My father used to pack the whole family in. We'd going to Darlington, we'd go to Rockingham, we'd go to Charlotte, we came down to Daytona, Talladega. We would just go and we'd spend the whole day. And from that point on, I've been hooked on NASCAR.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: So for you, will you be at most races?
MICHAEL JORDAN: If I'm not there physically, you can believe I'm there mentally.
DENNY HAMLIN: And that's my job, too, is to be the feet on the ground.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: But how long have you had the idea of being an owner/co-owner of a Cup team?
MICHAEL JORDAN: I've thought about it so many different times because I have never seen a black owner or someone of color that really owned their team or could dictate what happens with their team. Obviously we haven't really been dominant in this sport, but the opportunities have never been presented.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: I mean, I watched Talladega Nights, Days of Thunder, got a good feel for the sport myself.
All right, Bubba, you're the driver. Who calls you? Who texts you? What happens?
BUBBA WALLACE: Probably got 60 to 75 text messages after we announced that night, and I got about 10 unknown numbers. And then I get one and I'm, like, reading the message. And then at the bottom it says MJ. And I said, let me read that again. I read the message, MJ. Okay, awesome, Michael Jordan just texted me. This is cool.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: I've got to say last year NASCAR flipped the script against some of the stereotypes that are usually associated with the sport, especially when it came to social justice issues.
BUBBA WALLACE: I thought it was a start for sure. For years I've been asked, How do we get more minorities in the sport? I'm like, That's a good question. It is at the top of NASCAR's list. Then Confederate flag rolled around, and it's like, there is so much backlash about this flag from the minority group that we are trying to attract they're not going to be a part of this until it's gone.
We led making a stance, put our foot down right now. We're opening the door to a whole new family to come in and enjoy our sport.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: In one of the most iconic moments from last year is when the whole garage followed you out. What was that moment like for you?
BUBBA WALLACE: When I got out and I started seeing more faces behind the drivers, I'm like, That's more than 40 drivers. That's when you see me stand up and look back. And I immediately dropped down on the car because it's the entire garage was rallying behind.
And it makes you feel good that as much as we have run-ins or go at it with each other, no matter what, we always have each other's back. We're all family.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: Gives you chills to think about it. I wonder if it gives you guys chills to think about the new season that's about to kick off, green flag a-waving. What are each of your expectations for the team this season?
DENNY HAMLIN: I know.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: Go ahead, Denny.
DENNY HAMLIN: Our team needs to get better. I just want to see from the start of the season to the end of the season that the aero is going in the right direction.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: How nervous are you to watch?
MICHAEL JORDAN: I'm nervous. I know I'm going to be nervous, and I've got two winners, though.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: More nervous than when you were on the court?
MICHAEL JORDAN: No. Not that nervous. But it's a different type of nervous. Nervous when I'm on the court, once again, I can go rebound. I can go shoot. I can play defense. Here, all I can do is cheer.
I feel like he's going to learn how to win. He's got the talent. We would not have invested in him and picked him if he didn't have the talent to win. By the end of the year, I think he's going to have an opportunity and probably will win at least a couple races. If it's more, I'd be elated.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: I'm jumping off my couch when you get your first one.
MICHAEL JORDAN: Me too.
DENNY HAMLIN: That's a fact.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: And I know 2018 was your best finish here at Daytona; you came in second. You beat somebody else, the third-place guy, by .002 seconds. Happened to be this guy right here. So how about this year? This is for the win; how is it going to play out?
DENNY HAMLIN: I want to do something no one else has done. No one has ever won three in a row at this racetrack in the 500. I hope he's not in front of me on the last lap. It might get physical.
MICHAEL JORDAN: Either one. Either one, I'm happy. Either one.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports