- A 23XI Racing employee has been suspended.
- 23XI Racing’s Evanna Howell allegedly got arrested.
- NASCAR eventually suspended her indefinitely.
23XI Racing continues to sit atop the standings mountain as Tyler Reddick has now protected his hold on the drivers’ table for a 13th straight week following the Coca-Cola 600, where he finished in the top 5 and accumulated 53 points.
Yet while the organisation kept stacking points on the racetrack, trouble recently brewed behind the curtain. According to the latest developments, one team employee has been suspended indefinitely by NASCAR after an arrest stemming from an incident at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Following events that happened at Charlotte during race weekend, NASCAR included the matter in its May 28 penalty release and confirmed that 23XI Racing employee Evanna Howell had been suspended.
Evanna Howell allegedly assaulted a 77-year-old man
According to NASCAR’s weekly Penalty Report, officials issued an indefinite suspension to 23XI Racing employee Evanna Howell. The report cited a “Behavioral” violation under Section 4.4A of the NASCAR Rule Book as the basis for the disciplinary action.
Further details regarding the suspension pointed toward an alleged incident that occurred during the race weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. As per the reports, Howell allegedly struck a 77-year-old man with a golf cart.
Court filings from Cabarrus County state that Howell, 35, was arrested on May 23 and charged with assault. Authorities said the incident happened Sunday afternoon at approximately 1:45 p.m. during race weekend activity at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 77-year-old man who was allegedly hit by the golf cart suffered a severe laceration.
Officials have not disclosed what transpired before the incident or how the golf cart allegedly struck the man. Authorities have also kept further investigative details under wraps for now. Howell was booked into Cabarrus County Jail and later secured release on May 26 after posting a $125,000 bond.
She was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury. Howell has since been released from custody after posting bond. Court documents show she is scheduled to return to court on June 16. But NASCAR, on its part, has chosen not to remain associated with Howell for now.
Who is Howell, and what role did she serve at 23XI Racing?
According to Howell’s LinkedIn profile, she joined 23XI Racing during the organization’s first full season in late 2021 as a Senior Account Manager. In January 2024, she received another promotion within the organization as part of the team’s expanding business structure.
During her tenure with 23XI Racing, Howell managed sponsorship operations and client-facing responsibilities for the organization as it continued to make a space in the NASCAR garage. Before taking the role at the Michael Jordan-owned team, Howell built experience across several sports and entertainment companies.
The Org reported that she previously worked as a Business Intelligence Manager at Loud And Live and also served as a Project Manager at Feld Entertainment.
Her résumé also includes work with the Charlotte Hornets and the Jacksonville Jaguars, where her responsibilities focused on sales initiatives and client management.
Alongside her professional experience, Howell also assembled a substantial academic record. According to The Org, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management from Winston-Salem State University. She later completed two master’s degrees at the University of Central Florida, including one in Sport Business Management and another in Business Administration.
As of now, NASCAR has issued no statement beyond the suspension notice, and law enforcement officials have also withheld further details on what may have triggered the alleged golf cart incident.
