Tyler Reddick Has Done The Impossible: He's Made NASCAR Relevant in 2026
Winner of the First Three Races of the Season is on a Roll
Motorsports are a funny thing.
Depending on who you ask, racing with vehicles are either “over” or in the midst of a renaissance. For every blog that’s written about circuits like Formula 1 “cooling off,” there are other stories out there telling me motorsports are headed for a new era of fandom and investment. Then there is NASCAR. In of itself, NASCAR is a paradox within a paradox: It’s at once a name brand synonymous with (American) racing while at the same time being perceived as being left in the dust by other motorsport leagues.
It’s a global brand that struggles to get out of its own Southern-fried way. An organization that has poured millions into diversity efforts has seen its core (older, Caucasian) fanbase barely budge. And while I so wanted one of those trendy ‘NASCAR jackets’ back in the early 2000s, there are just other, cooler (and less expensive) ways to get your racing fix.
Enter Tyler Reddick.
Reddick (alongside teammate Bubba Wallace) races for 23XI Racing, a team that’s owned by Denny Hamlin (the “XI”,) and Michael Jordan (the 23). And if you’re wondering, yes, that is the same Michael Jordan who appeared in the cinematic classic, “Space Jam.”
Michael Jordan is actually integral to this story. I could go into the fact that he’s one of the few black principal owners on any motorsport team in this country, but that’s another sandwich for another time. The bigger story is that just about a year ago, Jordan had sued NASCAR for unfair business practices. If you want the full breakdown as to why, this video breaks it down. And well, with Reddick’s recent success, I bet the historically petty Jordan is laughing his ass off.
Tyler Reddick went out and won the first three races of the season: The world-famous Daytona 500, the Autotrader 400, and the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix. Winning one race can elude a driver for years. Winning three race in a season is amazing. Three back-to-back? Phenomenal. And a funny thing happened when Reddick did that, and I’m not referring to the parade of 3-peat memes.
Mainstream sports media took notice. Don’t get me wrong, NASCAR isn’t a small operation (even though technically it’s a ‘mom & pop’ operation if you can believe it), but it almost never gets covered on sports morning shows and talking head podcasts. But that’s exactly what happened in the wake of Reddick’s victories. Face of the ESPN network Stephen A Smith always seems uncomfortable stepping out of his football and basketball comfort zone, but even he has covered Reddick and NASCAR more than once.
And I’m not even making this up, this is literally the caption of the above video:
Reddick has the potential to be an unlikely crossover star for the sport if his appeal keeps up. He presents himself as a level-headed, down-to-earth dude from a coastal state. Not only is he racking up wins, but he has the advantage of being on a team ran by one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. There is an opportunity to appeal to hardcore fans, casual fans, and non-fans simultaneously. Plus, His Airness has got money to burn:
Look, Reddick won’t win forever, but if NASCAR knows what’s good for it (spoiler alert: They don’t), they should find a way to repeat this formula. Get the hard-nosed, working-class, everyman billionaires to invest in teams so they could push talent and races, while we feel it’s all more accessible than Formula 1.
I bet Stephen A Smith would approve. You think he’d rock an M&M jacket?