Michael Jordan could only look on in disbelief after a bizarre incident wrecked one of his 23XI Racing cars ahead of the NASCAR season finale.
Jordan was at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Friday’s practice session, two days before the final race of the season on Sunday.
None of his drivers — Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace or Riley Herbst — are in championship contention. Kyle Larson appears poised to claim the title ahead of Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell.
Reddick and Wallace both qualified for the playoffs, but Reddick’s hopes of mounting a championship challenge failed to take shape, despite an inspirational pep talk from Jordan during a visit to the team’s Mooresville, North Carolina, race shop before the postseason began.
Jordan’s enthusiasm for NASCAR remains undiminished, however, and he was back at the track for the final event of the season before the offseason begins.
The practice session ended in frustration when Reddick destroyed his car while entering pit road at the close of the session.
Tyler Reddick crashed while entering pit road at the end of practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Michael Jordan watched in disbelief from the pit box as the unusual crash wrecked the car
Trouble on pit road as practice comes to an end. �� https://t.co/KFbDWiVwyB
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 6, 2026
Reddick ran into the back of the slowing Zane Smith, spun around and suffered extensive damage to the front of his No. 45 Toyota Camry.
Video showed Jordan standing open-mouthed in shock, one arm raised in confusion as he watched the incident unfold from the pit box.
Jordan later told reporters he had been “having a lot of fun in practice” because Reddick was driving the best car he had ever seen at the track — before the session “ended really bad.” Jordan was also present when Reddick celebrated a dramatic playoff victory at Homestead-Miami in October 2024.
Reddick explained: “I knew we were both coming down, and I knew he — Zane Smith — was making a hot pit in. We were kind of on the same page about doing that together.
“It’s practice, so you don’t get a speeding penalty. You’re being aggressive and trying to get to the line.
“It looked like Todd Gilliland and some cars ahead of him were turning into the garage. By the time I committed to braking, I didn’t see that.
“It was honestly covered up by the No. 38, so I thought I was clear. Then, in the final second, when the choice was either hitting him or hitting the barrels, I saw that cars were turning into the garage in front of us.
“I just tried to lock it down and avoid hitting anything too hard, but I tore the car up really badly. The entire nose is damaged. It’s a bummer. It was the best car I’ve had here.”
Reddick’s car spun as he tried to avoid Smith and the inside wall
Reddick celebrated a dramatic late victory with Jordan at Homestead-Miami in 2024
Reddick’s team now faces a race against time to repair the car before Saturday’s qualifying session, with the season finale scheduled for Sunday.
He sits sixth in the Cup Series standings after a season that began in historic fashion, with three victories in the opening three races, including the Daytona 500.
Before the Chase began in August — the 10-race postseason used to determine the champion from the top 16 drivers — Reddick told the Daily Mail about Jordan’s visit to 23XI Racing’s Airspeed headquarters to address the team.
“When he came in here to address the company, he’s just a great speaker,” Reddick said.
“He knows how to get his point across, how to get people excited and how to make it relatable. He’s an amazing leader and a great speaker. For us, it was great that he made the time to come see us and talk to us. Anytime he makes time for us, it goes a long way.
“For me, anytime I get to spend time with Michael, it leaves a huge impact on me. I really love it when he comes to 23XI and Airspeed because I get to see the impact he has on the men and women who work here.”
