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    • Michael Jordan watches Tyler Reddick drive the NASCAR championship race
    Alabama

    Michael Jordan watches Tyler Reddick drive the NASCAR championship race

    Idris Bevan Posted on

    Michael Jordan knows a thing or two about winning championships, having won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. Now the co-owner of 23XI Racing has the chance to add a NASCAR Cup Series championship to his legacy.

    On Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Jordan watched his 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick capitalize on a spectacular last-lap pass to win the playoff race and secure a spot in the Championship 4. Reddick defeated reigning series champion Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin. who is also co-owner of the 23XI Racing Team but drives for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    Jordan was beaming on pit road as Reddick took the checkered flag, securing what had seemed like an unlikely victory a few laps earlier.

    “Oh man, he just let go. He just did it and I’m happy,” Jordan said. “We needed it. We needed it.”

    Reddick’s team had adopted a different pit strategy in the closing stages of Sunday’s race, believing this was their only chance of victory. They kept Reddick’s Toyota on the track long after all the other cars had pitted on green for fuel and new tires, which only brought him to pit road when his tank was nearly empty. That left Reddick well out of the top 10 as the race came to a close, but then the team took a break.

    Kyle Larson, who was running second to Blaney, spun on the 255th of 267 laps, earning the final caution. Because Reddick had changed tires just a few laps earlier, he was able to stay on the track while everyone else returned to pit road. And suddenly Reddick and 23XI Racing were back in the game.

    NASCAR AT HOMESTEAD: Complete results from Sunday’s playoff race

    Reddick lost the lead to Hamlin on the restart, and a few laps later Blaney took the lead from Hamlin until Reddick chased down both drivers, passing first Hamlin and then Blaney and taking the checkered flag.

    “That little boy worked his ass off,” Jordan said of Reddick. “I’m proud of him.”

    Reddick will accompany Team Penske driver Joey Logano in the NASCAR championship race in two weeks at Phoenix Raceway. The remaining two spots will be decided next Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

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    Idris Bevan
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