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.” Michael Jordan was all smiles celebrating Tyler Reddick’s Daytona 500 victory. 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’t even believe it,” Jordan said. “It was so gratifying. We had four guys that were really fighting, helping each other out. You never know how these races are going to end. You just try to survive.” Tyler Reddick is embraced by team owner Michael Jordan in Victory Lane. For those who do follow the sport, they know all about how Jordan had the stature and the wallet and the tenacity to sue NASCAR on…
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2026-02-16 03:36:28
