Daytona 500 Winner Tyler Reddick Just Did Something No NASCAR Driver Has Done in 78 Years
For decades, the "three-peat" has belonged to Michael Jordan. Three NBA titles. Then three more, sparking a dynasty that defined an era and a phrase that became synonymous with one man.
On Sunday at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, Jordan had to share it.
Tyler Reddick, driver of the No. 45 Toyota for Jordan's 23XI Racing team, won the DuraMax Texas Grand Prix to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win the first three races of a season. His first win was at the Daytona 500, then in Atlanta. And on Sunday, he did it on a road course — the hardest of the three — holding off New Zealand road course specialist Shane van Gisbergen in the closing laps to seal his place in the record books.
"It means the world," Reddick said after the race. "Being able to outlast him there and get the win means everything."
The Hardest One to Win
Reddick's path to history on Sunday was anything but easy. He fell back to eighth during the middle of Stage 1 before gradually battling his way back to the front. He led 58 of 95 laps in a race that featured 14 lead changes among nine different drivers, and in the final stretch, it was van Gisbergen breathing down his neck.
The New Zealander won five consecutive road course races in the Cup Series in 2025. Reddick snapped that streak, pulling away over the final laps to win by 3.944 seconds — a margin that wasn't as comfortable as it looks.
@brracing Michael Jordan celebrates with 45 team after Tyler Reddick makes history being the first driver to ever win the first three races of the season! #nascar #nascarcupseries #racing
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Jordan, watching from the track, knew exactly what was at stake. "He had a chance to win three in a row, and that's the hardest one to win," Jordan said. "He kept to his strategy, and man, the guys put together a great car."
History on Two Fronts
Reddick's win wasn't just a personal milestone. It made 23XI Racing only the third team in Cup Series history to win the first three races of a season — joining DePaolo Engineering in 1957 and Petty Enterprises in 1963.
Jordan was quick to spread the credit. "I'm proud of the team we put together," he said, singling out co-owner Denny Hamlin. "He's the mastermind in finding Tyler and putting together Billy Scott and all them. I just put up the money — I'm just a competitor."
Reddick now holds a commanding 70-point lead in the standings over 23XI teammate Bubba Wallace, with Chase Elliott third, 72 points back.
Up next is Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, March 8 at 3:30 PM ET on FS1 and HBO Max. Obviously, winning four consecutive races to start a season has never been done in NASCAR history either. At this point, nobody is ruling it out.