Michael Jordan at EchoPark Speedway. Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

Robert Griffin III makes bold Michael Jordan, Tyler Reddick claim

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Mar 1, 2026 8:21 PM ET

Robert Griffin III got to take in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas firsthand, and the former NFL QB and ESPN analyst saw a barnburner of a race.

Tyler Reddick held off road course ace Shane van Gisbergen, notching his third straight win to open the 2026 season. It's the first time in NASCAR history that a driver has won three consecutive races to open a campaign.

Reddick drives for 23XI Racing, a team owned by driver Denny Hamlin and NBA legend Michael Jordan.

Robert Griffin III's bold claim

After the race, Griffin made a bold claim about Reddick and Jordan's place in stock car racing.

Michael Jordan and Tyler Reddick are the new faces of NASCAR.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 2, 2026

"Michael Jordan and Tyler Reddick are the new faces of NASCAR," Griffin said in a social media post.

It's hard to say that Griffin is wrong. Not only did Reddick win the season-opening Daytona 500, the biggest race in NASCAR, but he went on to win the next two to make history. He's also the Cup Series points leader through three races.

Jordan will be a big name wherever he goes, but now that he's in the NASCAR limelight as his organization experiences a vast amount of success, the spotlight around him will only grow.

Jordan confirmed on the Fox telecast of the race that he will be at Phoenix Raceway on March 8 to watch Reddick go for an unprecedented fourth straight win to start the season.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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