By Mike Haag, Raceday San Antonio
AUSTIN, Texas — Days before traveling to race at Circuit of the Americas, 23XI Racing co-owner and NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan delivered a simple message to Tyler Reddick — one rooted in championship history.
Jordan, who built a global legacy on dynasties and three-peats, reminded his driver that he does things in threes.
Sunday, Reddick made sure the message sounded prophetic.
Driving the No. 45 Toyota co-owned by Jordan and Denny Hamlin, Reddick captured the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne, winning his third consecutive NASCAR Cup Series race to open the 2026 season, something no driver had ever accomplished before.
“Yeah, he reminded me early this week, he does things in threes,” Reddick said. “He expected no less today. I was really glad to be able to live up to the standards that he has for us and be able to deliver three in a row. That was really cool to share that moment with him.”
The victory followed wins at Daytona and Atlanta and marked Reddick’s 11th career Cup Series victory and his second triumph at the demanding 2.41-mile road course in Austin. He led a race-high 58 of 95 laps and beat Shane van Gisbergen by 3.944 seconds in a methodical late-race drive.
For Jordan, the symbolism wasn’t lost.
“Time for change. Time for change,” Jordan said. “And Tyler came in with the most pressure, I guess. Everybody expected him or he had a chance to win three in a row. That’s the hardest one to win, you know? And he kept to his strategy. Man, the guys put together a great car, and Billy (Scott, crew chief) did an unbelievable job calling the race.”
Jordan admitted even a six-time NBA champion still feels race-day nerves.
“When you see SVG coming back there, you get a little nervous,” Jordan said. “But I think he had him covered pretty much the whole day.”
The win capped a dominant afternoon that didn’t begin perfectly. Despite starting on the pole, Reddick prioritized tire conservation early and failed to score stage points in Stage 1 before steadily marching forward as the race unfolded.
“I just had to make adjustments,” Reddick said. “At the beginning of the race, guys were aggressive and putting you in bad spots, just trying to keep the car clean. Once we stopped the bleeding, I was able to march back forward.”
By Stage 2, the No. 45 car had come alive. Reddick finished fifth in the segment (won by Ty Gibbs) and began asserting control, eventually leading large portions of the final stage.
Still, the race turned tense when road-course ace Shane van Gisbergen closed to within 0.367 seconds with 10 laps remaining.
“Yeah, just trying to remember everything that I knew was going to be important there at the end and minimize the mistakes,” Reddick said. “Shane is just so good, man. If I let him get close enough, it was going to be hard to hold him off.”
Instead, Reddick drove like a veteran protecting a championship lead and not a driver chasing history.
“As I started to pull away, it’s like, all right, there’s a lot on the line here,” Reddick said. “Hit your marks, don’t be a hero; you don’t have to win by eight seconds.”
The calm execution also impressed 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin, who finished 10th and watched the decisive restart unfold from behind.
“What a dream start for those guys,” Hamlin said. “They’re locked in right now. Tyler is locked in. He stayed absolutely disciplined and didn’t make any mistakes. That’s what champions are made of, and he is well on his way.”
Reddick eventually stretched the lead to more than three seconds, eliminating any late drama and becoming the first two-time NASCAR winner at COTA in the event’s six-year history.
Defending race winner Christopher Bell finished third, followed by Ty Gibbs and Michael McDowell. Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, AJ Allmendinger and Hamlin rounded out the top 10, while teammate Bubba Wallace finished 11th.
The victory gives Reddick a commanding 70-point lead in the standings over Wallace, with Elliott 72 points back after three races as the series travels to Phoenix next weekend.
For Jordan, the success represents validation of the organization he helped build from the ground up.
“I’m proud of the team that we put together,” Jordan said. “Denny’s the mastermind behind finding Tyler and putting together Billy Scott and all that. Look, I just put up the money. I’m just a competitor. But the team has done a good job of taking our leadership and going out and winning. That’s what it’s about — winning.”
The moment carried deeper meaning for Reddick as well. One year ago, victories were absent while his family navigated serious health issues involving his infant son. The focus remained on racing, but results never followed.
Now, both family and team have turned a page and their 2026 season has begun with historic momentum.
“It means the world,” Reddick said. “To be able to get three in a row and make history. It’s incredible. We worked really hard. We did not like getting beat like that on road courses, so this one was really important.”
Even as history unfolded, Reddick refused to relax behind the wheel.
“I didn’t let myself think it was over until it was truly over,” Reddick said. “Certainly used the pressure of what’s on the line to motivate myself to hit marks and close it out.”
In an era where parity and data make dominance rare, Reddick understands just how unusual this start has been.
“It’s really hard to week in and week out be in contention to win,” Reddick said. “So to be able to put it together like we have these first three is just pretty unreal.”
Jordan, already looking ahead, confirmed he plans to be present for the next chapter of the run.
“I’ll be in Phoenix,” Jordan said. “I’ll be in Phoenix.”
And fittingly, it all circles back to the number that started the weekend conversation.
Jordan built his legend on three-peats. On Sunday in Austin, Tyler Reddick brought that championship language to NASCAR by turning a reminder into history and proving that, for 23XI Racing, three truly is the magic number.
For Jordan and Reddick, Sunday wasn’t just another win. It was a statement written in threes.
