23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan recently made his first trip to the victory lane as a team owner after Tyler Reddick clinched the victory in the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, marking the sixth win for the young organization.
The NBA legend holds a majority stake in the team along with veteran NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin who owns a minority stake. The Cup Series outfit, which fields two cars, is not Jordan's first venture as a franchise owner as he previously held a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets for 13 years.
According to ESPN, Michael Jordan walked away with a profit after selling his majority stake in the team last year, when his franchise was valued at $3 billion.
Switching his focus to 23XI Racing, Jordan is fully committed to his NASCAR Cup Series team and recently claimed that it has filled the void of competitiveness in his life. He was quoted as saying (via frontofficesports.com):
"I’m all in. I love it. It replaces a lot of the competitiveness that I had in basketball."
Michael Jordan's presence at Talladega Superspeedway elevated the significance of the victory. The Chicago Bulls legend likened winning the race to an NBA playoff victory, emphasizing the importance of a race win.
"This, to me, is like an NBA playoff game. I am so ecstatic, obviously for the fans who support the sport itself. And we’ve been working hard, trying to get ourselves up to compete against all the top guys in this sport. But we’ve done a heck of a job just to be where we are. And for us to win a big race like this, I mean, it means so much to me and for the effort that the team has done," Jordan was quoted as saying by NASCAR.com.
Tyler Reddick's crew chief highlights Michael Jordan's interest in NASCAR
Billy Scott, Reddick's #45 Toyota crew chief, recently shed light on Michael Jordan's dedication as a team owner. Scott disclosed that Jordan watches every Truck, Xfinity, and Cup race to gain insights on how to improve as a team owner.
The 23XI Racing crew chief was impressed with Jordan's commitment as a team owner. He said (via NASCAR.com):
"He [Jordan] is a study of the sport. I was talking to him before the race and he watches every Truck race, every Xfinity race, every Cup race, just trying to learn and understand what we’re going through and figure out how he can help from the owner side. It’s impressive. And just to see the excitement on his face, that’s what I enjoyed."
Tyler Reddick has also previously lauded Michael Jordan's efforts as he was impressed with Jordan's knowledge and his ability to rally the team.
