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On a thrilling Sunday at Daytona Beach, Florida, Tyler Reddick clinched a dramatic victory at the Daytona 500, driving a car owned by none other than NBA legend Michael Jordan. The race reached its climax when Chase Elliott crashed during a tense showdown with Reddick for the coveted win.
Piloting a Toyota for 23XI Racing, Reddick brilliantly maneuvered through the competition to lead the most crucial lap of the race—the final one that secured him the checkered flag. This victory marks a significant achievement for the team, co-owned by Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin, a seasoned driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, found himself embroiled in the race’s final caution. A collision with his teammate, Christopher Bell, occurred with just nine laps remaining, setting the stage for an adrenaline-filled sprint over the last four laps. This dramatic turn of events paved the way for Reddick’s memorable finish.
Reddick, in a Toyota for 23XI Racing, led only one lap on Sunday: the one to the checkered flag for the team owned by the NBA Hall of Famer and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.
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Driver Tyler Reddick leads other cars out to the track during a NASCAR Daytona 500 practice, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Daytona, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) -
during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/David Graham) -
Cars move during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) -
Riley Herbst, (35), Justin Allgaier, (40), Todd Gilliland, (34), John Hunter Nemechek, (42) and Ryan Blaney, (12) collide during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
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 had control on the final lap after leader Carson Hocevar was spun off the track and it appeared the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott would finally win his first Daytona 500.
Instead, Reddick made a huge surge, hit Elliott to cause Elliott to crash and sailed past to take Jordan to the Daytona International Speedway victory lane.
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.