"Last time I witnessed Michael Jordan that excited was 20 years ago": Former NASCAR driver reacts to 23XI owner’s adrenaline rush after 'intense' race

Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace has given his take on Michael Jordan's unprecedented excitement after his driver Tyler Reddick triumphed in the recent Homestead-Miami race. The 23XI Racing driver lingered below the elimination line, but his last-lap move over Ryan Blaney turned the tables around.

The Straight Talk Wireless 400 wrapped up without any 'Big Ones' changing the complete order of the 267-lap run. Kyle Larson's #5 Chevy was apparently the only NextGen ride that witnessed a couple of incidents, such as a flat tire, delayed pitstop, and spinning out while taking the lead in a three-wide battle against Blaney and Austin Dillon.

However, after the Las Vegas setback where Reddick's #45 Toyota flipped before marking a DNF for the driver and jeopardizing his Cup Series title bid, the 23XI Racing driver outshone his rivals at Homestead-Miami.

Not only did the Californian register his career-first entry in the Championship 4 race as a legitimate title contender, but he also scripted history for his team, marking its first Championship 4 entry as a title contender since the outfit began its NASCAR operations at the 2021 Daytona 500.

Michael Jordan undoubtedly cherished the historic moment and according to Kenny Wallace, the NBA legend's excitement was unprecedented. He said:

"I don't know how you could get a race better than that. I really don't, it was so intense," Wallace said of the race (0:46).

Wallace added:

"I'll tell you my other takeaway. The last time I witnessed Michael Jordan that excited was 20 years ago when he played Basketball. I don't think I've ever seen Michael Jordan, you know he's always been low-key." (2:27).

Tyler Reddick's Homestead-Miami win and Joey Logano's Las Vegas victory have reduced the confirmed spots for the Championship 4 race from four to two.

"We needed it": Michael Jordan exhilarated after Reddick's third Cup Series race win

Reddick had a strong performance since the race went green. He was the polesitter, swept the Stage 1 in his favor, and posted a fourth-place finish in the second stage. He suffered a setback due to a required pitstop on Lap 252, but that proved beneficial for the regular season champion, as, a couple of laps later, all lead cars pitted under caution prompted by Larson's spin, except Reddick.

As a result, the 23XI Racing driver led the field during the final restart. However, he was outperformed by Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin as the duo took the white flag and placed 1st and 2nd, respectively. Nonetheless, as the Team Penske driver gave room on Turn 3, the 23XI Racing gunned his Camry for the lead, mastering the final lap battle to punch his Championship 4 ticket.

Michael Jordan was ecstatic with his driver's triumph and expressed the same, saying (via NASCAR on NBC).

"Little kid drove his ass off. I'm proud of him. He just let go (on the final lap). He just went for it, and I'm glad. We needed it," Jordan said.

With Tyler Reddick's win, Jordan's co-owned venture has inched closer to another historic moment, the driver and the team's first NASCAR Cup Series title.