|
|
02/15/26 07:13:00
Printable Page
02/15 19:12 CST Michael Jordan's Daytona 500 ring: Tyler Reddick's 1-lap lead
delivers NASCAR's biggest win
Michael Jordan's Daytona 500 ring: Tyler Reddick's 1-lap lead delivers NASCAR's
biggest win
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) --- Michael Jordan, six-time NBA champion, is now a
Daytona 500 winner, too.
Tyler Reddick won "The Great American Race" on Sunday with a last-lap pass at
Daytona International Speedway that sent Jordan into a frantic celebration. The
NBA Hall of Famer bear-hugged Reddick in victory lane and then jointly hoisted
the Harley J. Earl trophy with the 23XI Racing driver.
Jordan, who turns 63 on Tuesday, will get a Daytona 500 ring for his birthday
and made it known in victory lane he wears a size 13.
"It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won't even
know," Jordan said.
The moment captured the message team co-owner Denny Hamlin --- who finished
31st in Sunday's bid to become the third driver in history to win four Daytona
500s --- delivered to 23XI employees in a team meeting ahead of NASCAR's season
opener.
"He loves his race team," Hamlin said, adding he reminded the team of the
fulfillment they saw in Jordan when Reddick won at Talladega in 2024. "I was
like ?You know, you guys understand the responsibilities you have, that you
have the power to bring joy to Michael Jordan. You have that power and nobody
else can do it.'
"There's nothing else that can bring him the joy that seeing what his team can
do and they took it to heart."
Reddick, in a Toyota, led only one lap Sunday: the one to the checkered flag.
He was the 25th different driver to lead a lap for a new Daytona 500 record.
"Just incredible how it all played out. Just true Daytona madness," Reddick
said. "I've already lost my voice from screaming. Never thought I'd be Daytona
500 champion."
Reddick, a 30-year-old from Corning, California, won for the ninth time in the
Cup Series and first time since late in the 2024 season. Winless last year,
Reddick was primarily focused on his infant son, who was found to have a tumor
in his chest that affected his heart. Reddick opened last year with a runner-up
finish in the Daytona 500.
He snapped the 38-race losing streak by finishing one place higher Sunday and
winning to start a celebration that included multiple stars of NASCAR. It
included Jordan, a global icon, and Hamlin, at 45 the oldest full-time driver
in the Cup Series.
Reddick is teammates with Bubba Wallace, who went to victory lane in tears
after leading a race-high 40 laps before finishing 10th. Jordan wrapped his
arms around Wallace from behind and spoke closely into Wallace's ear in a brief
speech of encouragement.
"I don't want my emotions to take away from the monumental day they just
accomplished. Happy birthday, MJ. That's a massive birthday present," Wallace
said. "I thought this was our week, the best 500 I've ever had, and come up
short, sucks.
"Led a lot of laps, lap leader, I believe. It was a good day for us, but damn.
Try again next year."
Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, was involved in the final caution when
he and teammate Christopher Bell collided with nine laps remaining. It set up
the final push to the finish over the final four laps.
Elliott grabbed the lead at the start of the final lap when Carson Hocevar was
spun off the track. Reddick made a huge surge with an assist from teammate
Riley Herbst, made contact with Elliott that caused Elliott to crash, then
sailed past to give Jordan a victory in NASCAR's biggest event of the year.
"It's stuff you dream of as a kid," said Reddick. "Now, I definitely didn't
look into the future and know that I would drive for Michael Jordan. But to be
able to have someone like Michael Jordan believe in me enough, someone like
Denny Hamlin.
"I'm just trying to do my best to live on the promises that I made to them and
vice versa."
Jordan was the face of the December federal antitrust lawsuit that NASCAR
settled on the ninth day of trial. The settlement changed the revenue-sharing
model in the United States' top motorsports series.
Jordan watched the win from a suite overlooking the superspeedway built by the
France family --- NASCAR founders and private owners --- that he just beat in
federal court. NASCAR chairman Jim France, who was personally a defendant in
the suit, went to victory lane to congratulate the winners.
"I can't even believe it. It was so gratifying," Jordan said of the victory.
"You never know how these races are going to end. You just try to survive. We
hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a
chance at the end. Look, I'm ecstatic."
The victory marked a Daytona sweep for three team owners heavily involved in
the trial. Bob Jenkins, who joined 23XI in suing NASCAR, opened the weekend
with a victory when Chandler Smith won the Truck Series opener on Friday night
for Front Row Motorsports.
Richard Childress, who testified on behalf of 23XI and Front Row and was the
subject of disparaging text messages by since-departed NASCAR chairman Steve
Phelps, was the winning team owner Saturday when Austin Hill won.
Then it was time for Jordan and Hamlin, the two front-facing litigants, as they
got their first Daytona 500 victory together.
"All we do is win," shrugged Hamlin, who called the trio of weekend winners
"coincidence."
Former race winners Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Joey Logano finished second and
third as Toyota, Chevrolet and Ford each placed a driver on the podium. Elliott
wound up fourth and sat dejected and in disbelief on the outside wall of the
track after climbing from his car.
"We ended up kind of getting gifted the lead ... and then at that point in
time, you're just on defense. Man, that's a really, really tough place to be,
truthfully," Elliott said. "Obviously looking back, you can run it through your
mind 1,000 times, do you do something different?"
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
|
