Tyler Reddick's Dominant Start Propels 23XI Racing to Unprecedented Early Season Success

The NASCAR Cup Series season has commenced with a resounding statement from 23XI Racing, as driver Tyler Reddick has secured victories in the first two events, establishing a commanding lead in the championship standings. Reddick’s remarkable back-to-back wins at Daytona and Atlanta have not only placed him atop the leaderboard but have also thrust the relatively young team into the spotlight, underscoring a significant leap in performance and competitiveness. His teammate, Bubba Wallace, currently holds second place in the standings, contributing to 23XI Racing’s early season dominance.

The team’s owner, NBA legend Michael Jordan, has been a visible presence on pit road, celebrating these early successes after a challenging 2023 season that saw both on-track struggles and legal entanglements. Reddick’s current form is particularly noteworthy given that he is entering a contract year. His performance thus far positions him as a top-tier driver, seemingly deserving of a lucrative contract extension, with the critical question being whether 23XI Racing’s co-owners, Jordan and Denny Hamlin, will meet his valuation.

Denny Hamlin, a co-owner of 23XI Racing and a seasoned Cup Series competitor himself, acknowledged Reddick’s talent. "I think everyone, regardless of his season last year, would always think of Tyler Reddick as a top talent," Hamlin stated. "We picked him out many, many years ago for that reason. So, there’s no question that he’s going to have a long future here." While Hamlin’s response could be interpreted as a diplomatic deflection regarding contract negotiations, his sentiment reflects confidence in Reddick’s capabilities.

The current 1-2 standing of 23XI Racing drivers is a testament to the team’s strategic development and execution. "Yeah, you know, it’s very early, but it’s not by circumstance," Hamlin commented on the team’s strong start. "They’re running up front. They’re fast. Again, just doing a lot of the right things. We’re making up for lost time. Last year — obviously we talked about last week — we didn’t have the wins that we expected as a race team, but they’re making up for it right now."

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Hamlin further elaborated on the strategic advantage of having two competitive cars at the front of the field. "It feels good certainly as a car owner knowing that you’ve got a couple of bullets in the gun. When the end of the race didn’t go Bubba’s way, you got another one there to pick it up. That certainly increases your odds of winning a lot of races when you’ve got multiple cars up front like we had tonight."

Founded just six years ago, 23XI Racing has benefited from its technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and the introduction of the Next Gen car in 2022. Despite these advantages, the team’s progression has been rapid, accumulating 11 wins in its relatively short history. While the established "Big Three" manufacturers in NASCAR—Toyota (via Joe Gibbs Racing), Ford (via Penske Racing), and Chevrolet (via Hendrick Motorsports)—continue to be formidable forces, 23XI Racing is increasingly becoming a consistent contender among them.

Hamlin remains measured when discussing the team’s potential to be considered a "Big Four" but expressed immense pride in their current trajectory. "It’s too early for that. I mean, we’re many wins and championships away from that," Hamlin remarked. "There’s no question that we’re building fast cars and cars that are capable of winning week in, week out. We don’t always hit the setup or things like that, but we’re working hard. This team being nonexistent six years ago is just amazing that we’re able to do what we did with building this thing from scratch and now having the results week in, week out that is contending with the big guys."

Tyler Reddick, the driver at the forefront of this early season surge, is focused on maintaining this momentum and solidifying 23XI Racing’s position among the elite. "For us, 2025 was not really the year we were supposed to have when you look at how we did in 2024," Reddick stated, referencing the previous season. "We should have continued what we built in 2024 and you look at the past two weeks, that’s what 2026 should look like. We show up every week with the intention of breaking (up) the big three teams. We want to be part of the conversation with them (and) take the competition to them. To pull it off the past two weeks is a good start."

Reddick acknowledged the nature of the opening two races, which were held at superspeedway and intermediate oval configurations, respectively. "Yes, they are speedway races, and they are challenging to control, but I think there’s a lot to look forward to the next three races at COTA, Phoenix and Vegas too," he added, anticipating future competitive outings.

Reddick’s two victories have provided a substantial points advantage in the current Chase for the Championship format. He leads Wallace by 41 points. Upon being informed of this significant margin, Reddick expressed pride in the team’s collective achievement while also acknowledging a degree of disappointment for his teammate. "Well, I know Bubba is not thrilled (that) its a 41 gap but for us at 23XI, we take great pride in running good everywhere and working together," Reddick said. "I hate it for him because he had it tonight and the 77 had an opportunity to hang him out, but I think Bubba had a smoother, more efficient day and for us to be 1-2 is great. His road course racing is better every year and you’re going to see that next week. Our intent is to stay there."

Bubba Wallace, who led 46 laps at Atlanta, recognized the value of a strong points day and expressed happiness for his teammate’s success. "It was ‘a good points day’," Wallace conceded, while also highlighting the team’s unified approach.

Hamlin believes that the strong start has allowed both his drivers to compete with a sense of freedom. "I saw it after we (Reddick and Hamlin) were both in that wreck that I was in," Hamlin recalled. "He comes out. His car is damaged, and he just starts shooting the middle again like his car is fine. It’s, like, well, that’s a guy that feels like he’s got nothing to lose right there. Not only that, but with Bubba being two in the standings, this gets him off on the right foot for the season. I can assure you that all drivers are looking at the standings week in, week out now. There is no, well, I’ll check it ten weeks from now, five weeks from now. Everyone is looking. It matters, and it certainly will be a good mental check for them knowing that they’ve got this year started off on the right foot. Hopefully that allows them both to race freely and know that they’ve got a few good finishes to start the year. It’s just momentum. Momentum is a big thing in this sport. Sometimes when you get it going, it’s hard to stop."

The early success of 23XI Racing, spearheaded by Tyler Reddick’s impressive wins, has not only energized the team and its ownership but has also sent a clear signal to the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series that they are a force to be reckoned with. The upcoming races will be crucial in determining if this initial dominance is a sustainable trend or a temporary surge.

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