Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing team has made a dominating entrance into the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series, winning the first three races of the season. Tyler Reddick, driving the No. 45 car co-owned by Jordan and Hamlin, has made history with three consecutive wins, while teammate Bubba Wallace has secured two top-10 finishes and stands second in the points standings, illustrating the success of the Denny Hamlin NASCAR partnership.
Retired NASCAR Cup champion Kevin Harvick recently weighed in on the team’s remarkable start to the season, emphasizing how the unique combination of Hamlin’s extensive racing knowledge and Jordan’s influence creates a powerful and “dangerous” duo within the sport.
Harvick Describes Impact of Jordan and Hamlin’s Combined Efforts
Speaking on SPEED with Harvick and Buxton, Kevin Harvick praised the synergy between Jordan and Hamlin, drawing attention to the financial support and expert insight both bring to 23XI Racing. Harvick highlighted comments made by Michael Jordan after Tyler Reddick’s victory at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), where Jordan acknowledged his role as primarily a financial backer while commending Hamlin’s leadership and expertise.
I just put up the money. I’m just a competitor. I think Denny’s done an unbelievable job in terms of helping building this team,
Michael Jordan said.
Harvick elaborated on why this combination poses a significant challenge for competitors.
That pairing of Denny Hamlin’s ability to understand the sport. … Michael Jordan’s commitment to make sure that they have the funding and the things that they need to put those cars on the racetrack. … I think that pairing of Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin is obviously dangerous,
said Harvick.
Since its inception in 2021, 23XI Racing has steadily built momentum. Starting as a single-car team with Bubba Wallace, the outfit saw its first win at Talladega that year, marking Wallace’s breakthrough victory. In 2022, Kurt Busch joined the team and secured his final career victory at Kansas, while Wallace also triumphed later that season at Kansas.
The team expanded further with Tyler Reddick joining in 2023 and the addition of Riley Herbst in 2025, transforming 23XI Racing into a three-car stable. Since Reddick’s arrival, the team has accumulated nine wins, with Reddick contributing eight of those victories.
Tyler Reddick’s Historic Winning Streak Fuels 23XI’s Momentum
California-native Tyler Reddick has launched the 2026 NASCAR season with an unprecedented performance, capturing three consecutive victories—the Daytona 500, EchoPark Speedway, and Circuit of The Americas. This achievement marks the first time a driver has begun a Cup Series season with a hat-trick of wins, underscoring the strength of the Denny Hamlin NASCAR partnership behind the team.
The string of victories has granted Reddick a commanding 70-point advantage over teammate Bubba Wallace, who currently resides in second place in the driver standings. Reddick is now preparing for a potential fourth straight win at the upcoming race at Phoenix Raceway, despite not having secured a victory there before. His best results at Phoenix have been two third-place finishes.
23XI Racing's success comes from BOTH Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin.@KevinHarvick | @wbuxtonofficial pic.twitter.com/WJvZCAji2l
— SPEED on FOX (@SPEEDonFOX) March 3, 2026
https://twitter.com/NASCARONFOX/status/2028261183770308778
