There’s a reason why a Daytona 500 winner of any season is introduced specifically with that win. Not only is the Daytona 500 a crown jewel of the NASCAR Cup Series, but it also features the winner hoisting the large, silver, four-foot-tall Harley J. Earl Trophy, and is later presented with a 54-pound miniature replica to keep, because the original trophy remains on permanent display at Daytona International Speedway.
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Beyond that, the winning driver and team owner take home a Daytona 500 championship ring, a leather jacket marking the triumph, and a two-tone Rolex Cosmograph Daytona in Oystersteel and 18ct yellow gold with a white dial. The watch is made for the event and carries an engraving on the caseback with the word “Winner” and the year.
By claiming the 68th running of the famed season-opener, Tyler Reddick walked away with all of it. While the $31 million purse rang loud, the watch struck a specific chord for the 23XI racing driver. On Corey LaJoie’s Stacking Pennies, Reddick said, “A lot of great things have taken place today, getting the Rolex, getting the jacket. We got the ring right here. Let me flip it over.”
“And then for me, one of my favorite parts, I mean, the ring’s amazing, but I always told myself I had to earn my Daytona Rolex. And I’ve always wanted one, but it’s like, nope, I’m not going to shortcut this. I could buy one, but I want to earn the first one. So, it’s a real dream come true type deal for me,” he continued.
To mark 100 years of the Rolex Oyster from 1926 to 2026, the 2026 winner, Reddick, received a Cosmograph Daytona ref. 126503 with an anniversary engraving. The practice of handing over these watches began in 1992, though Rolex has served as timekeeper at Daytona International Speedway since 1962.
The watch often steals the show from the trophy because it cannot be bought off the shelf. The only way to strap one on with the “Winner” engraving is to win at Daytona.
Rolex has never backed NASCAR as a sponsor, yet its ties to racing at Daytona go deeper, becoming the title sponsor of the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1992, when the race took on the name Rolex 24 at Daytona.
With Reddick’s winless 2025 season firmly behind him at the opening event no less, it remains to be seen what kind of momentum the 23XI driver can carry into 2026. With a regular-season championship already under his belt, it remains to be seen how he adapts to the new Chase format and if he can claim the ultimate prize in NASCAR.
