Tyler Reddick’s Daytona 500 victory had his boss, Michael Jordan, rejoicing. The NBA legend felt ecstatic, as if his team had just won a championship. Winning the Daytona 500 is indeed a hard nut to crack, and Reddick is now among the 44 drivers who have won the marquee crown jewel event.
Notably, Reddick’s victory adds to Jordan’s growing list of accomplishments as a team owner and also marks the first Daytona 500 sweep for Toyota since Denny Hamlin won in 2020.
“I can’t even believe it,” Jordan said after the race. “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.”
Jordan was impressed by Riley Herbst and his late-race tactics. Herbst gave Reddick a huge push during the final laps. Thanks to the Cup Series sophomore, Reddick was able to log his first crown jewel race win. Last year, Bubba Wallace took 23XI to its first crown jewel race victory by winning the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“I thought Riley did an unbelievable job pushing at the end,” Jordan continued. “That shows you what teamwork can really, really do. He doesn’t get enough credit. He won’t get enough credit. But we feel the love. We understand exactly what he did.”
“We hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end. I’m ecstatic. I don’t even know what to say. It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won’t even know,” he added.
Well, the ultimate goal is to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship. Safe to say that winning the Daytona 500 was a great way to open the 2026 Cup Series campaign.
The drivers will be back next week (February 22) for the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Fans can watch the race live on FOX (starting at 3 pm ET) or listen to live radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Tyler Reddick Thanks Riley Herbst For Daytona 500 Assist
Tyler Reddick led just the final lap of the 500-lap Daytona 500, but that’s the only one that mattered. With that, he took his team to its first-ever victory in “The Great American Race.”
Thanks to fellow 23XI driver Riley Herbst, who gave Reddick the push he needed to overtake Chase Elliott exiting Turn 4 on the last lap and hold the lead for the rest of the race.
“My teammate Riley Herbst gave me a lot of pushes there and then tried to win the race for himself, as he should at the end there,” Reddick said after the race. “Just incredible how it all played out. Just true Daytona madness.”
2026 marked the 68th running of the Daytona 500, which has been opening seasons since 1982. The inaugural running of the race was held back in February 1959, which Lee Petty won. It was also the first race held at the iconic Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
