Michael Jordan was unable to control his emotions on Sunday as Tyler Reddick crossed the finish line first at the Daytona 500. After a tough 2025 battling the charter lawsuit, this victory gave 23XI Racing the best result, and to Jordan, the best birthday gift they could’ve asked for. And as the confetti fell at Daytona, Denny Hamlin’s emotional off-season message finally came full circle.
Hamlin’s team delivered on his favor
“You know we’re fortunate. Denny reminded us in one of our company meetings in the off-season that we have the ability to bring genuine joy to one of, if not the greatest athlete we’ve ever seen,” said Tyler Reddick’s crew chief, Billy Scott, about the special favor Hamlin wanted for his best friend.
“And I’m sure that’s hard for him—to find anything that comes close to matching what he did as a player in all those championships. But to see the joy that it does bring him, to have him now a couple of times be there in person as we get those victories, is amazing.”
🐐, bossman, and Daytona 500 Champion.
Happy birthday to our Co-Owner Michael Jordan! pic.twitter.com/J1OEuX86E6
— 23XI Racing (@23XIRacing) February 17, 2026
Michael Jordan is one of the greatest personalities on the NBA court. Yet, all he could ask for was the safety and prosperity of his 23XI Racing for the entirety of 2025. The lawsuit that dragged him into court against the France family threatened the very existence of his dream.
So it was no wonder that when Jordan finally saw his team in the Daytona 500 victory lane this year, he felt it all deeply. For him, the victory at the Crown Jewel race of the NASCAR Cup Series was just as important as any NBA championship he won.
Even Steve O’Donnell doubled down on that, saying, “I’ve never seen a guy that enthusiastic — I mean, other than winning an NBA championship. He gave us both hugs. It was a really cool moment. It’s pretty awesome.”
The entire 23XI Racing team was working in perfect sync this weekend for Hamlin and Jordan. All four 23XI cars were giving their best on track. Tyler Reddick remained calm and collected throughout the race. Meanwhile, Riley Herbst played the best supporting role without any complaints.
Bubba Wallace gave his teammates the best defense they could’ve asked for. Together, they were able to conquer the Great American Race this year. Denny Hamlin’s request and his words for his best friend were duly proven true by the 23XI Racing team.
While he is happy for his partner, Denny Hamlin has some regrets that he wishes he could rectify from last weekend.
Denny Hamlin shares blame with Justin Allgaier
It all happened in a split second. Hamlin was making a move on Allgaier and went for the gap between him and the guardrails. However, Allgaier closed the door on him at the last moment, crashing out and creating a huge pileup of cars on the track. At first glance, it would seem like the crash was completely Allgaier’s doing.
However, in a recent interview, Denny Hamlin came forward to reveal that he is also to blame for the crash that happened between the two drivers.
“Allgaier took 100 percent of the blame; I’ll take 20 of it. I’ll take 20 of it because it was an aggressive move…
“I made up my mind probably 100 yards or so before I actually went high. I said, ‘I’m going to the outside no matter what,’ because I knew where he had run on the top before that, so I knew there’d be enough space.”
Denny Hamlin feels like he should have been more patient. He was faster than Allgaier, and he just needed to time his attack better for the stage victory. If he did that, Hamlin believes that the results would be very different.
“I could have just gone to the bottom and probably cleared him with the speed differential that I had. … Again, doing it all over again, had I known what the result was going to be, I would have just stayed in line there for a few more laps.”
Either way, Denny Hamlin can’t turn back the clock. All he can do is wait for Sunday this week so that he can make another run at a win in Atlanta and start his season on a positive note.