After not winning a single race last season, Tyler Reddick is setting records this year. Redick not only took the iconic Daytona 500 for 23XI Racing, but he also became the first driver to win the first three races of the NASCAR season. Three races later, Reddick joined Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Bill Elliott as the only drivers to win four out of the first six races of the season.
While it’s Reddick’s skill and hard work that have brought him here, he also credits 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan for his success because, since he’s been more around the team, he has motivated everybody to be better.
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“Every time that Michael’s around, we absolutely love and cherish it,” said Reddick. “Just the insight and knowledge that he’s able to share with us from his experiences, one, motivate the hell out of us. I mean, you’re ready to run through a wall first off, but then two, hearing champion, a winner, a legend, tell you these things, and it’s like ‘Oh wow, you know, we’re not that far off.’ A few adjustments and we’re right there.”
Reddick is No.1 in the standings
Jordan founded 23XI with driver Denny Hamlin in 2020 and debuted in NASCAR competition in 2021, with the only Black driver in NASCAR, Bubba Wallace, as their first driver in the No. 23 car.
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But winning didn’t come easy. 23XI Racing won only nine races during its first five years in NASCAR. But after a monumental legal ‘win’ in its antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR last December, 23XI has been on a roll, thanks mainly to Reddick.
With four wins, two poles, four Top 5s, and 5 Top 10 finishes, Reddick is currently the leader in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series standings with 353 points. He is followed by Ryan Blaney, who has 271. Teammate Bubba Wallace in the No.11 spot. Safe to say, Jordan’s presence hasn’t only motivated Tyler but also turned him into the same killer he was on the basketball court.
Related: “The Jordan of the 70s” – John Starks reveals who is the NBA’s most underappreciated legend
MJ has been more hands on
Curiously, Reddick and the other drivers weren’t talking about MJ this way during their early days. That’s because MJ was busy being the majority owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. But after “His Airness” sold his shares three years ago, he’s found more time to be with his NASCAR team. And according to Hamlin, he got more hands-on with 23XI since then.
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“Certainly, he’s involved in more meetings. Now he wants to be on every branding e-mail. I’m like, ‘Oh boy, this could be interesting.’ So, yeah, I think he has some more time, and perhaps he’s gonna use that more on the race team,” Hamlin said to reporters in 2023.
Jordan was criticized as a horrible owner in the NBA. In his 13 years as team owner, the Hornets posted a miserable 423-600 regular season record and made the playoffs only twice. His tenure as a NASCAR team owner looked that way early on.
However, he’s changed the narrative with a strong start this season. With Reddick inspired by MJ, look for him to win more races this year. And look for the team to find more success, because MJ has always been synonymous with winning.
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Related: “I’m cursed” – Michael Jordan reveals the ‘competitive gene’ driving his 2026 NASCAR dominance
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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