Getty Tyler Reddick will run a tribute scheme to Michael Jordan.
The No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD is going to have a special look for the home race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing will celebrate Michael Jordan’s college career.
The NASCAR Cup Series team revealed the new look on May 24. The No. 45 Toyota will have a blue base, which matches the team colors of the North Carolina Tar Heels. The Toyota will also have Jumpman logos on the hood and sides.
The @Jumpman23 returns home.
Reddick will be the second 23XI Racing driver to showcase a Jumpman scheme during a Cup Series race. Kurt Busch was the first as he took the Elephant Print scheme to Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway in 2022.
Reddick will try to match this level of success on Sunday, May 28. He will complete 600 Miles of Remembrance at Charlotte Motor Speedway, starting at 6 p.m. ET (FOX).
Reddick Has Achieved Success at Charlotte Motor Speedway
GettyTyler Reddick prepares for a race at Martinsville Speedway.
The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is a fitting event for Reddick to showcase this scheme. First, it will take place two hours west of Chapel Hill, N.C., the town where Jordan won an NCAA championship.
The other reason is that Reddick has performed consistently at NASCAR’s home track. He has only made four starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway — all with Richard Childress Racing — but he has avoided incidents while delivering solid finishes.
Reddick’s four starts have resulted in a 14th-place finish and three top-10. The 2022 Coca-Cola 600, in particular, ended with him crossing the finish line sixth overall.
Reddick now takes on the intermediate track as a member of Toyota Racing Development. He will be a name to watch based on his past consistency, as well as Toyota’s strength at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Denny Hamlin won the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 while then-teammate Kyle Busch finished second. Christopher Bell finished fifth and Martin Truex Jr. finished 12th. The only two Toyota drivers that didn’t have strong days were Bubba Wallace and Kurt Busch, who were both collected in multi-car incidents.
The Tar Heels Achieved Success With Jordan
GettyMichael Jordan watches the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Jordan enjoyed no shortage of success during his three seasons with the North Carolina Tar Heels. He played in 101 games and he posted a career field goal percentage of 54.6 while helping deliver numerous wins.
The 1981-82 season, in particular, featured the Tar Heels going 32-2. The only losses were against Wake Forest and No. 3 Virginia. The basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament and it delivered standout performances against James Madison, Alabama, Houston, and Villanova.
The Tar Heels went on to defeat Georgetown in the championship game. Meanwhile, Jordan ended the season as the ACC Rookie of the Year.
The Tar Heels returned to the NCAA Tournament during the 1982-83 season, where the team defeated James Madison and Ohio State. However, the season came to a close with a loss to Georgia.
Jordan’s final season at North Carolina featured him winning another 28 games alongside teammate Brad Daugherty, who also went on to become a co-owner of a NASCAR team.
The Tar Heels returned to the NCAA Tournament and defeated Temple. The season then ended in the next round of the tournament after a loss to Indiana. Shortly after, the Chicago Bulls drafted Jordan with the third overall pick, which began his Hall of Fame career.