Tyler Reddick wins Daytona 500 in a heart-stopping finish at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, overcoming his 26th-place start to surge ahead on the final lap and secure his first-ever victory in this iconic NASCAR event. Reddick, racing for the 23XI Racing Toyota team owned by Micheal Jordan and Denny Hamlin, seized the win after a dramatic, late-race restart in the 68th running of The Great American Race.
Reddick’s Last-Second Dash to Daytona Glory
For nearly 200 laps, Tyler Reddick ran in the middle of the field, never leading a single lap until it counted most. Starting 26th, he methodically worked his way forward in the No. 45 car, and when the checkered flag flew, Reddick crossed the line as the leader for the first and only time in the race. The intense finish capped off a day filled with relentless competition among NASCAR drivers such as Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Joey Logano, series champion Chase Elliott, and Brad Keselowski, who rounded out the top five finishers behind Reddick.
The 23XI Racing team, co-owned by NBA Hall of Famer Micheal Jordan and NASCAR star Denny Hamlin, was already celebrating Jordan’s birthday, adding another layer of significance to Reddick’s win. After a chaotic final few laps, Reddick managed to avoid several wrecks and capitalized on his teammate’s push to reach victory lane.
Intense Final Laps and Reddick’s Key Assist
When Stage 1 ended at lap 65, Reddick was holding twentieth place. By the conclusion of Stage 2, he had moved up to eighth, keeping himself in contention as the laps wound down. Following a restart on lap 197, teammate Bubba Wallace led the field in his own 23XI Racing Toyota before Carson Hocevar briefly claimed the lead in his No. 77 Chevrolet. However, Hocevar spun into the backstretch infield, and no caution emerged, leaving the door open for a dramatic finish.
As the cars barreled towards the finish line, Riley Herbst, another 23XI teammate, made contact with Chase Elliott, triggering a multi-car incident that collected several front runners. Reddick’s positioning and quick reactions allowed him to navigate through the commotion and maintain the lead to the finish.
“The pack we were in kept going back and forth there,”
Tyler Reddick said, describing the nerve-wracking conclusion.
“It was my teammate of Riley Herbst who really gave me a great push there.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
“It was incredible how it all played out. It truly was Daytona madness. It’s going to be a long night celebrating, for sure.”
– Tyler Reddick, Driver
Micheal Jordan’s Teamwork Pays Off with Historic Win
Before the green flag dropped, Micheal Jordan expressed his hopes for unity among his four drivers: Hamlin, Reddick, Wallace, and rookie Corey Heim. Jordan’s encouragement proved fruitful, as teamwork among the 23XI Racing drivers, particularly the assist from Riley Herbst and Bubba Wallace’s earlier stage win, played a pivotal role in the team’s ultimate success.
“This is really gratifying; we had four guys that were really fighting and helping each other out,”
Micheal Jordan shared, reflecting on his team’s performance.
“You never know how these races are going to end, you just try to survive.”
– Micheal Jordan, Team Owner
The end-of-race strategy and cooperation provided the crucial edge needed for Reddick. Jordan also highlighted Riley Herbst’s key push in the final moments, emphasizing the deep sense of satisfaction from winning such a prestigious event. As a six-time NBA champion, Jordan joked about collecting another type of championship ring for his growing collection.
“We hung in there all day, great strategy by the team and gave ourselves a chance at the end. I’m ecstatic, I don’t really know what to say. I feel like we won a championship, but until I get a ring I won’t really know.”
– Micheal Jordan, Team Owner
Caution with Joe Gibbs Racing Sets Up the Climactic Finish
With just eight laps remaining, a collision between Christopher Bell in the No. 20 Toyota and Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Toyota from Joe Gibbs Racing brought out a key caution. Bell’s contact with the wall on Turn 4 led to a late-race restart, bunching up the field for a thrilling final dash. When the race resumed with three laps to go, wrecks erupted behind the leaders, but Reddick kept his focus and sprinted to the checkered flag, prevailing as chaos unfolded in his wake.
Stage Results Show Field’s Depth
The Daytona 500’s opening stage saw Zane Smith drive the No. 38 Ford to an early lead, winning the stage after a series of green-flag pit stops between laps 56 and 59. Directly behind Smith, Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney, Carson Hocevar, Daniel Suarez, Chris Buescher, Micheal McDowell, Ryan Preece, Alex Bowman, and outside pole sitter Chase Briscoe secured valuable stage points in an uneventful first phase of the race.
Stage 2 concluded with Bubba Wallace guiding his No. 23 Toyota to the front, ahead of notable names like Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, John Hunter Nemechek, and Riley Herbst, again underscoring the significance of teamwork and strategy within the 23XI Racing camp.
The Impact and What Lies Ahead
Tyler Reddick’s victory at Daytona not only marks his first win in the Daytona 500 but also adds another triumphant chapter for 23XI Racing and Micheal Jordan as a team owner, demonstrating how teamwork and patient race strategy can pay off in NASCAR’s top events. The intense, emotional finish will be remembered by fans and sets a thrilling tone for the rest of the season, with drivers like Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Blaney already showing strong form.
The dramatic circumstances of this year’s Great American Race highlight the unpredictable nature of NASCAR, where any driver, given a strong team and timely opportunity, can rise to victory—even if just for the final, most important lap.
