Sports February 25, 2026Jordan becomes the first Black team owner to win the Daytona 500 By Andreas Butler (Source: Florida Courier) DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM DUANE FERNANDEZ SR. The 2026 edition of the Daytona 500 ended with Tyler Reddick taking the win in his No. 45 Toyota Camry. Reddick took the lead in the final lap. He was runner-up in last year’s Daytona 500. Reddick is part of the 23XI racing team owned by pro basketball legend and billionaire Michael Jordan. The win makes Jordan the first Black team owner to win the Daytona 500. The win also came two days before Jordan’s 63rd birthday. The feat also occurred during Black History Month and just two months after Jordan’s 23XI racing settled a lawsuit with NASCAR. The settlement secured permanent charters for all Cup Series teams, reshaping NASCAR’s business structure and team relationships. Reddick became just the second Toyota driver to win the Daytona 500. Jordan watched the win from a suite overlooking the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach. “I can’t even believe it. It was so gratifying,” Jordan said of the victory in an Associated Press article. “You never know how these races are going to end. You just try to survive. We hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end. Look, I’m ecstatic.” The win makes Jordan the first Black team owner to win the Daytona 500. The win also came two days before Jordan’s 63rd birthday.
