Currently, in his third season as a team co-owner in America’s most loved motorsport, Michael Jordan faces a tough time. Though the basketball legend saw both his cars go through to the 2023 NASCAR playoffs, only one remains going into the round of 8. After his No. 23 driver, Bubba Wallace saw elimination at the Roval despite a valiant effort, the young Tyler Reddick is Jordan’s sole warrior on the battlefield. With 3 more stops to make before reaching Phoenix Raceway, Reddick will ignite his engines at Las Vegas first.

From behind the windshield of the No. 45 Toyota Camry, the Vegas Motor Speedway is not a new terrain for the driver. Carrying Jordan’s 23XI Racing torch, he will be hoping to repeat some of his earlier brilliance at the 1.5-mile track.

In the No. 45 car, Michael Jordan fields one of the grid’s strongest entries at Las Vegas

It has been a mere number of days since it was announced that Reddick will be driving a car with a killer livery that will pay homage to the Retro Jordan 8 shoes. His Camry will be glad in an attractive black, red and orange blend that will make it the best-looking car on the field. But the point to be noted is that it could potentially end up being the quickest too. 27-year-old Reddick currently sits at the 7th spot in the driver standings above Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney.

Juicing out 3 top-10 finishes and one victory lane visit so far in the playoffs, he enters the gates of Las Vegas with a successful history in the city’s NASCAR track. In 2022, the driver had started his race at the track in pole position after an impressive display in qualifying. Over his overall Cup Series appearances at Las Vegas, he has garnered 3 top-10 finishes and holds an average finish of 16.0 at the track. Back when he was in Trucks, he also got to visit the victory lane once.

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With the numbers casting his potential for the win high, Reddick mentioned to the NASCAR media his anticipation for the coming weekend. Talking about the upcoming races, he said, “Vegas excites me for sure”. Being the only hope for Jordan after his venture into unknown territory and the massive cash splash, Reddick has a lot riding on his shoulders. And he reflected the same as he came out in the open with words about the pressure that he faced from Jordan.

Watch Story: Michael Jordan’s $61.5 Million Showstopper at Talladega

Amidst tight competition, Reddick talks about pressure from Jordan and his team

Running alongside Reddick towards the championship 4 are experienced legends of the sport including his other boss and 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin. Though Hamlin would surely want to see his driver win, it will not be at the cost of his own failure. His own championship comes above everything else for the 42-year-old business partner of Michael Jordan. Including him, all the drivers in the round of 8 can be more or less matched in terms of peak skill. But it will be the track, the car and fate that decides the outcome on the day.

While unwarranted pressure from Jordan could hurt Reddick’s chances amidst the already existing challenges, the driver spoke to the media about what the atmosphere in the camp is like. Answering a question about what put the expectations in check for Las Vegas, Reddick talked about how the successful careers of his team owners create the need to perform. Continuing about the chemistry within the garage, he said, “I feel like we’ve got five or six cup crew chief calibre, you know, individuals in the shop. They’re helping guide the ship. This team pumps out two race cars onto the racetrack, but not at any point does it feel like there are two teams in the shop. Or three teams in the shop. It feels like one team.”

With the weekend almost upon us, let’s wait and watch if Reddick’s admiration for Jordan and the fluidity of the 23XI Racing garage will infuse with his mastery at the track and give him yet another victory lane visit!

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