Lead: On Feb. 15, 2026 at Daytona Beach, Fla., Tyler Reddick captured the Daytona 500 driving a Toyota fielded by 23XI Racing, the team co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. Reddick edged out the field after a dramatic final-lap sequence in which Chase Elliott, battling for the lead, was clipped and lost control. The victory came after a late restart and a decisive push by Reddick with help from teammate Riley Herbst; Reddick led only the final lap to claim the checkered flag. Michael Jordan greeted Reddick in victory lane and joined him in hoisting the Harley J. Earl trophy.
Key Takeaways
- Tyler Reddick, 30, won the 2026 Daytona 500 on Feb. 15, giving him his ninth career NASCAR Cup Series victory.
- Reddick led a single lap—the final circuit—and took the win for 23XI Racing, the team owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.
- Chase Elliott, who appeared poised to win, was turned on the last lap after Carson Hocevar was spun earlier, handing opportunity to Reddick.
- Michael Jordan, who turns 63 on Feb. 17, celebrated in victory lane and said he will receive a Daytona 500 ring for his birthday.
- Denny Hamlin finished 31st after contact with teammate Christopher Bell with nine laps remaining, ending his bid to become a fourth-time Daytona 500 winner.
- Bubba Wallace, Reddick’s 23XI teammate, dominated a large portion of the race but finished 10th and was emotional in victory lane afterward.
- Former winners Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Joey Logano completed the podium in second and third, respectively.
Background
23XI Racing, formed by NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, entered the 2026 season with heightened attention after the ownership team was a central party in a federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR. The case reached a settlement during the trial in December that altered certain revenue-sharing arrangements in the series. Jordan’s visible role in the lawsuit and settlement made his team’s results at Daytona a focus for fans and industry observers.
The Daytona 500 is NASCAR’s marquee event and often decides early-season momentum. Tyler Reddick arrived at Daytona with recent form that included a late-2024 victory, but he was winless through 2025 and opened last year with a runner-up finish in the Daytona 500. Off-track, Reddick spent much of the previous year focused on his infant son’s health; his child was diagnosed with a chest tumor that affected heart function, a personal challenge the team has publicly referenced.
Main Event
The race’s final sequence unfolded after a late caution produced a restart with four laps to go. A collision with nine laps remaining involving Hamlin and teammate Christopher Bell shuffled the order and set up an aggressive finish. With Carson Hocevar spun off the track on the closing circuits, Chase Elliott briefly assumed control of the lead on the final lap.
Reddick mounted a powerful surge in the closing moments, aided by a push from Riley Herbst. Contact between Reddick and Elliott on the run to the checkered flag turned Elliott, allowing Reddick to sail past and claim the victory. The pass was decisive and immediate—Reddick crossed the line first despite having led only that final lap.
Victory lane was an emotional scene: Jordan met Reddick for a brief embrace and the two raised the Harley J. Earl trophy together. Teammate Bubba Wallace, who had dominated much of the event and appeared certain to contend, finished 10th and was consoled by Jordan in the lane. Hamlin, who had hoped to add to his Daytona résumé, finished 31st and left without the milestone fourth win.
Analysis & Implications
Sportingly, the win is a major boost for Reddick and 23XI Racing. A Daytona 500 victory not only carries prestige but also generates immediate momentum for the regular season and enhanced sponsor visibility. For Reddick personally, the triumph follows a stretched winless period and coincides with his return to top-level contention, reinforcing his status as a consistent Cup-level competitor.
For Michael Jordan and co-owner Denny Hamlin, the result has broader resonance. Jordan’s visibility from the recent antitrust litigation made his team’s Daytona outcome symbolic; the win is likely to be cited by supporters as vindication of 23XI’s competitive project. The December settlement that changed NASCAR’s revenue-sharing model remains separate from on-track results, but the timing links courtroom stakes and race-day success in public perception.
Commercially, a Daytona 500 victory can unlock sponsor activations, merchandise demand and enhanced negotiating leverage for a team. 23XI’s profile already attracted national attention; Jordan’s ownership plus a high-profile win will intensify interest from partners and media. On the governance side, while one race won’t rewrite policy, the convergence of legal and sporting wins for 23XI may accelerate discussion about owner power and competitive balance within the sport.
Comparison & Data
| Pos | Driver | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | 23XI Racing (Toyota) | Led 1 lap (final lap) |
| 2 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | — | Runner-up |
| 3 | Joey Logano | — | Third place |
| 4 | Chase Elliott | — | Fourth; involved in last-lap contact |
| 10 | Bubba Wallace | 23XI Racing | Dominated laps but finished 10th |
| 31 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing | Finished 31st after late contact |
The table highlights how the finishing order contrasted with laps-led: Wallace and others logged substantial time at the front, but the race-winning move came on the final circuit. That pattern—dominant runs by multiple drivers followed by a chaotic finish—is a recurring feature at superspeedway events, where drafting and late-restarter dynamics frequently reorder the leaderboard in the final laps.
Reactions & Quotes
Team and driver reactions mixed elation and frustration. Reddick celebrated with teammates and ownership in victory lane, while rivals and teammates processed a race decided in the closing seconds.
“Just true Daytona madness,”
Tyler Reddick
Reddick used that phrase to sum up a frenetic finish that saw multiple lead changes and a decisive shove on the final lap. His remarks reflected relief and disbelief after a win that arrived at the sport’s biggest race.
“I can’t even believe it. It was so gratifying,”
Michael Jordan
Jordan, speaking from a suite overlooking the track, described the victory as especially sweet given his recent legal fight with NASCAR and the symbolic weight of claiming the sport’s premier trophy.
“That’s a really, really tough place to be,”
Chase Elliott
Elliott, sitting on the outside wall after climbing from his car, summarized the difficult final-lap calculus drivers face when defending a narrow lead under intense pressure.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Jordan’s victory will produce immediate, measurable changes in sponsorship revenue for 23XI Racing beyond typical post-win activations remains unclear.
- The long-term impact of the December revenue-sharing settlement on competitive parity among teams has not yet been fully quantified.
- Any internal team discussions about lineup or strategy changes prompted by this win have not been publicly disclosed.
Bottom Line
Tyler Reddick’s win at the 2026 Daytona 500 delivered a high-profile payoff for 23XI Racing and its celebrity co-owner, Michael Jordan. The race underlined how superspeedway events can produce dramatic, last-lap reversals where a single push decides the outcome, and it provided immediate momentum for Reddick and commercial upside for the team.
Beyond the sporting moment, the result amplifies the narrative that linked 23XI’s courtroom fight with NASCAR to on-track success. While the legal settlement and this victory are separate developments, together they raise questions about ownership influence, revenue allocation and the commercial trajectory of NASCAR going forward. Observers should watch sponsorship activity, season-long performance, and any governance follow-ups as the series progresses.