Michael Jordan makes his feelings known as Tyler Reddick sets a historic NASCAR record at COTA

23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick made NASCAR history with his third straight win of the season at Circuit of the Americas. Afterwards, he also received praise from team owner, Michael Jordan, for winning the COTA race despite being under tremendous pressure.

Reddick had a strong start to the 95-lap main event. He was the fastest of his fellow drivers on the track and took pole position with a best lap time of 97.76 seconds. Later, the driver of the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE dominated the race by leading 58 laps and holding off expert off-road drivers such as Shane van Gisbergen.

With his win at COTA, Tyler Reddick became the first driver in NASCAR history to start a season with three straight wins, including a Daytona 500 victory. Additionally, Reddick also won his first race with the 23XI Racing team at Circuit of the Americas in 2023.

Reflecting on the landmark moment, team co-owner Michael Jordan praised Reddick for his accomplishment. Continuing in the post-race interview, Jordan also spoke about the shifting competitive balance and told Jaime Little:

“It’s time for a change. The guys feel the same way. Tyler came in under the most pressure. Everyone expected him to win three titles in a row. This is the toughest win. He stuck to his strategy, and the team put together a great car.”

“I just paid money. I’m just a competitor. Denny did an unbelievable job putting this team together. The team took that drive and came out and won. That’s what winning is all about,” he concluded.

The Circuit of the Americas race saw 14 lead changes, with the last change being Tyler Reddick, who won the race. Meanwhile, teammates Bubba Wallace and Riley Herbst concluded Sunday’s 95-lap race in laps 11 and 23.

“Tyler drove his a**”: Michael Jordan praised team driver Tyler Reddick for his victory in Atlanta

23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan appeared in a post-race interview with FOX Sports and praised Tyler Reddick after his win at EchoPark Speedway. During the same interaction, Jordan also addressed the troubling end of Redick’s teammate Bubba Wallace in Atlanta.

The driver of the No. 45 Toyota Camry XSE clinched the pole for the 2026 season at EchoPark Speedway. Meanwhile, Wallace qualified for the main event in ninth place, while Riley Herbst finished eighth. Later, the driver of the No. 23 Toyota Camry overtook Reddick and finished the first stage in second place. After a good pace, he won the second stage of the race.

However, things changed during the closing laps of the 271-lap race held last week. During overtime, Wallace was in the lead, but his decision to move to the outside track with two laps remaining changed the outcome of the race. This allowed Carson Hocevar to take the lead, only to be taken by Tyler Reddick, who eventually won the race.

Speaking in the closing laps of EchoPark Speedway, Jordan told the media:

“I mean, really, I can’t say anything. Tyler did an unbelievable job. I mean the team, both teams, did an unbelievable job. And look, I wanted someone to win. You know, I feel bad for Bubba, obviously, because he had an unbelievable day, but Tyler beat him. And I’m so happy for Tyler.”

Tyler Reddick was 0.164 seconds ahead of Toyota teammate Chase Briscoe. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace dropped to 8th after a last-minute move, and Herbst was 33rd in his No. 35 Camry XSE.