Tyler Reddick Wins Daytona 500 in Michael Jordan-Owned Car After Last-Lap Crash
Tyler Reddick emerged from last-lap chaos at Daytona International Speedway to claim the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. The No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing — co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin — crossed the line first after a multi-car incident in the race's final moments left the finish dramatized by smoke and shattered composure.
Last-lap chaos hands Reddick a one-lap lead and the trophy
The green flag had been moved up because of weather concerns, and the field took the start at 2: 14 p. m. ET. The closing stages were frantic: a nine-lap-to-go incident involving Corey Heim, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell brought out a caution and set up a tense final run. With the field reshuffled, leaders battled tightly in the closing laps.
Carson Hocevar was spun late, and Chase Elliott seized control as the race approached its final circuit. Reddick mounted a furious charge on the last lap, making contact with Elliott that sent Elliott into a crash and allowed Reddick to sail past and take the checkered flag. It was the only lap Reddick led all day — the most valuable lap of the season.
Reddick described the finish as "Daytona madness" and celebrated with an emotional victory lane scene. Teammates and team owners joined the celebration amid the smoke and confusion that followed the crash, while several contenders were left to ponder what might have been.
Emotional victory lane: Jordan, Wallace and missed opportunities
Michael Jordan joined Reddick in victory lane, embracing the driver and lifting the Harley J. Earl trophy alongside him. Jordan, who turns 63 on Tuesday, celebrated the win as a milestone and joked about the upcoming Daytona 500 ring that will mark the achievement.
Reddick’s teammates faced mixed fortunes. Bubba Wallace led more laps than anyone and dominated large stretches of the race, but his day ended in disappointment as he slipped to a 10th-place finish. Wallace was visibly emotional in victory lane, reflecting on what he called one of his best chances at a Daytona 500 win.
Denny Hamlin, meanwhile, finished 31st after being swept up in the earlier late-race contact. The result denied Hamlin a shot at joining a select few drivers with four Daytona 500 victories and left his team searching for answers after an otherwise strong weekend.
Race context and key statistics
The 68th running of the Daytona 500 delivered constant drama. The event drew a packed house on the traditional season-opening weekend, and the race featured numerous lead changes and incident-filled stages. One large wreck in Stage 2 reshaped strategies, while the later cautions compressed the field and set the stage for the chaotic finish.
Reddick’s win also capped a weekend notable for team-owner storylines and legal closure earlier in the year that had ripple effects through the paddock. The triumph offered a high-profile payoff for the 23XI program and underscored the unpredictable nature of superspeedway racing, where a single move in the final seconds can rewrite the record book.
For Tyler Reddick, the victory is a career-defining moment at one of motorsport’s most storied venues. For Michael Jordan and the 23XI organization, it is confirmation that the team can deliver on the sport’s biggest stage. For everyone else, Sunday’s finish served as a reminder that at Daytona, the checkered flag can arrive at the end of any kind of madness.
