NASCAR Cup Series nights at the Daytona International Speedway are just special. Apart from the big crashes and wrecks that are part of the superspeedway race, the racecraft displayed is something to be admired. However, Michael Jordan couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Justin Haley pull off a wild move going for the lead during the Coke Zero 400 race.

The Rick Ware Racing driver found himself in a commanding position on the field. While fuel-saving strategies and pack racing help to get good results, it takes more than that to get yourself in the victory lane at Daytona. Not afraid to send it in, Justin Haley, running in the second row, made a power move to take control of the race.

The driver of the No. 51 car, without causing a ruckus, swiftly slides from the top lane to the bottom one. Even the slightest hesitation could’ve been detrimental to Haley and the rest of the drivers in the lead pack. But he executed the move to perfection, which even got Michael Jordan’s approval. “Oh wow!”.

MJ doesn’t always grace the NASCAR tracks with his presence. However, at Daytona, he is being treated to some of the best superspeedway race shows. But this wasn’t the best display for the two 23XI Racing drivers, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, who still have some unfinished business to take care of at Darlington next week.

Not the finish Michael Jordan hoped for his team at Daytona

The last time MJ made his appearance at a superspeedway track, Tyler Redick and the #45 team treated him to a race win. But the two drivers couldn’t repeat their past heroics and had to endure a tough night of racing. Bubba Wallace did lead the charge of the field in the initial stages, but without enough support, he had to settle in the mid-pack.

To make matters worse, the two drivers were involved in multiple crashes. Reddick was taken out of commission during the first big one of the race. He was part of the 17-car crash that was sparked by Corey LaJoie and Noah Gragson. A DNF finish is no good for a driver who is contending for the regular title. Fortunately, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott also suffered a similar fate, so he does have breathing room to get the job done at Darlington.

Wallace did secure a top-10 result to his name, but this was nullified by Harrison Burton, who bagged a win and booked his playoff spot. Dejected with the outcome of the race, the driver of the #23 car after the race said, “Got one care fighting for a regular season championship and another on the bubble. It’s unacceptable. I’ll take all that weight on my shoulders. I should’ve won multiple times, and I haven’t. We don’t even deserve to be here, and we aren’t. Gotta go win, that’s it.”

Today’s win by Burton was a stark reminder to those drivers banking on points to advance further in the competition. Therefore, Wallace will need to bring his A-game next week and hopefully find himself on the greener side of the grass.