Just months after settling a high-stakes legal battle over the future of the sport, Michael Jordan has secured a new kind of championship trophy. On Sunday, Tyler Reddick, driving for Jordan’s 23XI Racing, captured the team’s first-ever Daytona 500 title in a dramatic final-lap surge.
Reddick, who started the final lap in fourth place, navigated through a series of multi-car crashes to seize the lead at the ultimate moment. Remarkably, it was the only lap he led during the entire race.
A Birthday Gift and a Legal Milestone
The victory is particularly sweet for Jordan, occurring just two days before his 63rd birthday and falling on the same day as the NBA All-Star Game. “I can’t even believe it, it’s so gratifying,” Jordan stated post-race, visibly moved by the achievement of the team he co-founded with Denny Hamlin in 2020.
This win follows a period of intense off-track friction. 23XI Racing recently resolved a high-stakes antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. The settlement secured “evergreen” charters for teams—a major structural change Jordan advocated for to ensure the long-term stability and value of racing franchises, similar to the “stick-and-ball” sports he dominated for decades.
Race Results Summary
While Tyler Reddick took the checkered flag, his teammate Bubba Wallace led for a significant portion of the race before ultimately finishing 10th. Denny Hamlin, Jordan’s partner in 23XI who still races for Joe Gibbs Racing, finished 31st.
With the legal disputes now in the rearview mirror, Jordan expressed a renewed commitment to NASCAR: “I think level heads have gotten us to this point where we can actually work together and grow this sport.”