The Daytona 500 was a smoke-filled affair, with cars twitching at nearly 200 miles per hour, and as the field thundered towards the final lap, the race turned into a test of nerves, something that 23XI owner Michael Jordan has often felt on the court. Now, after his team managed to take home the trophy, Jordan delivered an emotional message.
“I can’t even believe it,” Jordan said in the post-race interview. “It was so, so gratifying. We had 4 guys that were really fighting, that were helping each other out. You never know how these races are going to end, right? It’s like you just try to survive.”
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Jordan watched from the pit, looking on as his team eventually managed to secure the win, and even joked that he’s not going to know the real feeling of winning the championship until he gets his, in spirit, seventh ring (still quite far off Magic Johnson’s 15). For a man who’s built a career on hard-nosed play and stoicism, this was a rare instance of the emotion spilling over.
But beneath the celebration was another reality, one tied to the business framework of NASCAR. Cup teams are required to carry a minimum $5 million liability insurance policy to compete. While this doesn’t mean that the Chicago Bulls legend personally has to cut a $5 million check after each wreck, since the protection coverage is mandatory, drifting on a track known for multi-car pileups is real and dangerous exposure.
Today, the “Big One” took place earlier than expected, with 20 cars crashing just past the midway point, involving 23XI co-owner Denny Hamlin among multiple other racers.
Jordan also heaped praise on Riley Herbst, singling him out for a push at the end on teammate Tyler Reddick, which helped secure the win tonight.
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“I thought Riley did an unbelievable job by pushing at the end,” he said in his interview. “He won’t get enough credit, but we feel the love. We understand exactly what he did, and we just hung in there all day. Great strategy by the team, and we gave ourselves a chance at the end.”
The win was extremely personal for MJ. “I don’t even know what to say. It feels like I won a championship, but until I get my ring, I won’t even know.”
From Courtroom Pressure to Superspeedway Success for 23XI and Michael Jordan
What made Michael Jordan and 23XI’s win on the speedway on Sunday was everything they had endured over the last year. The team, co-owned by Denny Hamlin among others, along with Front Row Motorsports, had filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR in 2024, arguing that the system of charters was monopolistic.
DARLINGTON, SC – SEPTEMBER 01: Team 23xi team of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick after winning the regular season championship after the running of the 75th Cook Out Southern 500 on September 01, 2024 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, SC. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: SEP 01 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2409011546500
The charter agreements are contracts that guarantee starting slots and revenue for NASCAR teams, and 23XI and Front Row refused to sign the terms for 2025 after negotiations had stalled. Jordan’s legal team accused NASCAR of partaking in coercive practices, using tight deadlines and the inability of teams to negotiate fair revenue sharing and governance under the charter system to their advantage.
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The trial began in December 2025, and within eight days, both sides agreed to a settlement. This led NASCAR to make charters permanent for all Cup Series teams, and both 23XI and Front Row were reinstated as charter teams in 2026 after racing non-chartered in 2025.
There were other changes made as well, but the important part is that the settlement was a turning point for the structure of business in NASCAR, and now, Jordan has cemented himself and his team as 23XI took home the championship.
