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Michael Jordan knows what championship glory feels like — and on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, he experienced it all over again. The six-time NBA champion watched as Tyler Reddick delivered a dramatic last-lap pass to win the Daytona 500, sending the 23XI Racing co-owner into an unforgettable celebration.
The victory came just days before Jordan’s birthday and carried symbolic weight, with Reddick driving the No. 45 Toyota — a nod to the jersey number Jordan once wore during his Chicago Bulls career. As the checkered flag waved, Jordan erupted in joy, bear-hugging Reddick in victory lane before hoisting the prestigious Harley J. Earl trophy together.
The moment, captured on video and shared by FOX NASCAR on their official X handle, quickly went viral, showcasing Jordan’s unfiltered emotion as his team conquered “Michael Jordan is a Daytona 500 champion!”
“It feels like I won a championship”: Michael Jordan
For Jordan, the triumph felt deeply personal.
“It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won’t even know,” Michael Jordan said.
He later added, “I can’t even believe it. It was so gratifying. 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 win delivered Jordan a Daytona 500 ring — size 13, as he made clear in victory lane — and cemented his growing legacy in motorsports ownership.
Tyler Reddick’s dramatic final-lap surge
Reddick led only one lap all afternoon — the final one. In a chaotic closing sequence, he surged forward with help from teammate Riley Herbst, made contact with Chase Elliott, and powered past to secure his ninth Cup Series victory.
“Just incredible how it all played out. Just true Daytona madness,” Tyler Reddick said. “I’ve already lost my voice from screaming. Never thought I’d be Daytona 500 champion.”
He added, “It’s stuff you dream of as a kid. 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.”
Teammate Bubba Wallace, emotional after leading 40 laps before finishing 10th, acknowledged the magnitude of the day.
“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.
From the hardwood to the high banks of Daytona, Michael Jordan’s competitive fire still burns — and now, he’s a Daytona 500 champion, too.
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