NASCAR is getting its biggest dose yet of Michael Jordan the team owner thanks to Tyler Reddick’s historic start to the 2026 season.
Reddick, who drives the No. 45 car for Jordan’s 23XI Racing team, became the first NASCAR driver to win the first three Cup Series races of a season Sunday when he took the checkered flag at the Circuit of the Americas just outside Austin.
“It’s time for change,” Jordan said Sunday evening during a post-race interview with Fox Sports, which has become a weekly occurrence during Reddick’s winning streak.
Reddick started the season by winning the Daytona 500—the first for Jordan and 23XI—and then the second race of the year in Atlanta. His 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace finished 10th, 8th, and 11th in the first three races of the season.
Jordan credited 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin—still a driver himself for Joe Gibbs Racing—as “the mastermind” behind the team’s success.
“I just put up the money,” Jordan said. “I’m just a competitor.”
Jordan, who in past seasons only attended select races, said he plans to be in Phoenix this Sunday as Reddick goes for a four-peat.
Jordan Effect?
Reddick’s success, and the increased spotlight on Jordan, has not translated to a significant TV ratings bump for NASCAR yet.
The Daytona 500 averaged 7.5 million viewers on Fox, which was up 11% over the 2025 edition that was delayed multiple times due to weather before ultimately concluding in primetime.
The Week 2 race in Atlanta averaged 4.5 million viewers on Fox, down 2% compared to last year’s comparable race.
Viewership for Sunday’s race in Texas will be released later this week.
From the Courtroom to the Racetrack
23XI’s success comes after the team and Front Row Motor Sports in December settled an ugly antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR.
The deal brought peace to a situation that had upended the sport since October 2024. 23XI and Front Row had refused to sign a charter agreement NASCAR presented to them, with those pacts guaranteeing entry into every race and a larger share of purse money.
“I know we had our little ordeal, but they never gave up,” Jordan said on Fox during last week’s post-race interview. “They kept working hard, and this is the fruit of their labor.”
After the settlement was reached, NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps stepped down, leaving president Steve O’Donnell as the highest-ranking executive, alongside the France family that owns NASCAR.
