Michael Jordan and 23XI Racing were dealt another blow amid their NASCAR antitrust lawsuit. No. 45 driver Tyler Reddick missed out on a $1 million In-Season Challenge matchup with Ty Dillon in Indianapolis this weekend. NBA legend Jordan’s co-owned NASCAR team, 23XI, alongside Sunday’s race winner Denny Hamlin, is locked in a bitter legal battle with the governing body alongside Cup Series rivals Front Row Motorsports.

The two teams were thrown a curveball last week. A federal judge denied a motion by 23XI and FRM to retain their charters while their legal fight with NASCAR plays out. This forced all six of 23XI and FRM’s cars to compete as open entries starting at Dover last weekend and continuing next week in Indy — and potentially beyond. The teams argue that without charter protection, they face a serious risk of financial collapse.

Heading into last weekend’s action at Dover International Speedway, 23XI had the opportunity to score a significant win in NASCAR, with 2024’s Regular Season champion Reddick one of four drivers remaining in the stock car series’ inaugural In-Season Challenge, where the winner, who will be crowned this week in Indy, will win $1M. Reddick faced off against Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs, who, until this season, had not shown signs of consistency in the Cup Series.

On the other side of the knockout tree were Dillon and John Hunter Nemechek. Reddick vs. Gibbs was also billed to be the more competitive matchup, with both drivers consistently recording top-ten race finishes. However, Gibbs, who now has three consecutive top-ten finishes, got the better of Reddick.

Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, an NFL Hall of Famer, three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach, and NASCAR Hall of Famer, finished fifth, seven spots higher than Reddick, who crossed the line in 12th. Gibbs will now face underdog Dillon in a head-to-head for the $1M prize.

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Reddick was ahead of Gibbs before a red flag allowed the JGR star to make a pass. “Yeah, we just didn’t really go in the right direction on the right side tires,” Reddick told Frontstretch.

“It was kind of something we thought all day long, firing off even on 4. We were hoping it was going to work out for us and unfortunately it didn’t.”

Gibbs said: “Yeah, we had a good day and put together a good finish. We got around the 45 there on the restart, so it just worked in our way. Yeah, I think most important is to win the race and then we can win the million bucks with it.”

Legendary team owner Joe Gibbs also weighed in on his grandson’s latest achievement. “And I have people on that group that came to me, encouraging me, ideas for me after it. I think they care for Ty, and this was a huge deal,” he said.

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“And we’ve added a lot to that team, as you guys know. And so, when you see somebody go through some real tough stuff like that, this sport will really measure you. But those guys have fought back, our pit crew there.

“Those guys did a great job today, and they have been there through the first part of the year when nothing went right. There was nothing went our way. And so you appreciate those guys just kept fighting, I appreciate that.

“And so, for us to get to this point, we still have a long ways to go, because we’ve got to win to probably get in the chase. But, it was a huge deal today, and they fought their guts out at the end.”