Tyler Reddick on 3 Straight NASCAR Wins, Michael Jordan, 23XI, and AI 3/12/26

Tyler Reddick joins Alex Sherman to unpack a red-hot start to the NASCAR season—three straight wins—and what’s actually behind the momentum. Reddick explains how experience at specific tracks and lessons from previous near-misses helped him execute when it mattered, including reflecting on coming up just short in the Daytona 500 and using prior failures as motivation to close races out.

A big focus of the conversation is 23XI Racing’s leadership—and the reality of what it’s like to drive for an ownership group that includes Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. Reddick shares a favorite Jordan moment that turned into real performance fuel, and he pushes back on the idea that Jordan is “just the money,” describing how both Jordan and Hamlin contribute leadership, perspective, and hands-on involvement (including Hamlin’s role in building out the team’s “Airspeed” facility).

They also zoom out to the business of NASCAR: what a winning streak can do for sponsorship conversations, why partner exposure matters as much as prize money, and how driver compensation can vary widely depending on contract structure (salary vs. winnings/purse-heavy deals). Reddick addresses whether any fallout lingered after 23XI’s lawsuit against NASCAR and the eventual settlement, and he explains why, from his seat, things stayed professional at the track and the relationship is moving forward.

Finally, Reddick weighs in on NASCAR’s current trajectory amid leadership changes and shifting motorsports attention, including the role of the Next Gen car and why tire strategy (and Goodyear’s changes) can significantly impact racing quality. The episode closes with a look at AI: while Reddick doesn’t use AI in-car, he says teams are exploring how AI might help them process overwhelming amounts of performance and race data more efficiently over time.

 01:30 Michael Jordan’s “jab” that motivated Reddick to improve on superspeedways
 03:05 How Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin actually lead at 23XI Racing
 05:13 23XI’s lawsuit vs. NASCAR, the settlement, and whether anything lingers
 06:44 Winning streak economics: sponsors, exposure, and new partnership interest
 08:06 How driver pay works: salary vs. winnings and contract structure
 09:33 NASCAR’s direction, leadership change, Next Gen car, and why tires matter
 11:21 AI in NASCAR: using AI to sort racing data (and why it’s still early)
 13:29 Phoenix sendoff and Michael Jordan’s leadership style

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