Michael Jordan achieved his NASCAR dream through Tyler Reddick's Daytona 500 victory
Jordan formed 23XI Racing with Denny Hamlin, combining their iconic numbers
The victory came just before Jordan's 63rd birthday
Jordan grew up attending NASCAR races with his family in North Carolina
This was Jordan's first victory as a NASCAR team owner in NASCAR's most prestigious race
📖 Full Retelling
Michael Jordan, the NBA legend turned NASCAR team owner, experienced the ultimate victory Sunday when his driver Tyler Reddick won the 2026 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, fulfilling a lifelong dream for the basketball superstar who grew up attending NASCAR races with his family in North Carolina. The 62-year-old Jordan, who turns 63 in a couple of days, beamed with pride as Reddick secured the checkered flag with a dramatic last-lap pass in 'The Great American Race.' Jordan's journey into NASCAR ownership began when fellow driver Denny Hamlin convinced him to form 23XI Racing, a nod to Jordan's iconic basketball number 23 and Hamlin's car number 11. The team represents Jordan's deep connection to the sport that captivated him during childhood family vacations to tracks like Talladega, Darlington, and Rockingham, where he rooted for legends Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough. 'I'm ecstatic,' Jordan exclaimed during his television interview in Victory Lane. 'I don't even know what to say. It feels like I won a championship.' The emotional victory was particularly sweet for Jordan, who has shown unwavering passion for his racing team. Teammate Hamlin noted Jordan's genuine enthusiasm, recalling how he reminded team members of their responsibility 'to bring joy to Michael Jordan.' This triumph follows previous milestones for the team, including Reddick's regular-season championship win and Jordan's memorable celebration on pit road at Talladega, where the towering basketball star carried Reddick's son on his shoulders.
🏷️ Themes
Sports Achievement, Lifelong Passion, Team Ownership
American basketball player and businessman (born 1963)
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and retired professional basketball player who is a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 15 seasons in the NBA between 1984 and 2003, ...
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top-ranked motorsports organizations in the world and is one of the largest spectator sports league...
James Dennis Alan Hamlin (born November 18, 1980) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed "the King", is an American former stock car racing driver who competed from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably driving the No. 43 Plymouth/Pontiac for Petty Enterpri...
Tyler George Reddick (born January 11, 1996) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing.
Daytona International Speedway (Daytona Beach, Fla.) — Michael Jordan grew up taking family vacations to NASCAR races. The family — dad, mom, his siblings — would drive from North Carolina to Talladega, Darlington and Rockingham and root for their favorite drivers: Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough. As Jordan said about Yarborough: "He was the original 11. Sorry, Denny." The Denny he was referring to was Denny Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing but also convinced Jordan to form a race team with him to start in the 2021 season. The team, 23XI Racing, was a nod to Jordan’s number for his basketball career and Hamlin’s car number. Jordan, though, probably has a favorite No. 45. That’d be Tyler Reddick, who won the 2026 Daytona 500 with a last-lap pass Sunday. "I'm ecstatic," Jordan said during his television interview in Victory Lane. "I don't even know what to say. It feels like I won a championship." MUST-READ FROM JORDAN & 23XI's TRIUMPH: It was an early birthday present for Jordan, who turns 63 in a couple of days. He appeared downright giddy as he gave his team members high-fives and then lifted the Harley J. Earl trophy with Reddick. Jordan showed similar energy a couple of years ago when he celebrated his first in-person victory at a race. "He loves this race team," Hamlin said in Sunday's postrace news conference. "In [a] meeting that we had just a few weeks ago with the team, I reminded them about Talladega and how excited he was on pit road. "And I was like, ‘Do you guys understand the responsibilities that you have, that you have the power to bring joy to Michael Jordan? You have that power.’" Reddick joked to me after that Talladega win as the much-taller Jordan carried Reddick’s son on his shoulders: "I hope he had fun seeing what the world is like from up there." Jordan beamed with more pride later that year when Reddick won the regular-season title. But this was the Daytona 500, the stuff dreams are made of for those who follow the sport. "I can
