Michael McDowell (racing driver) explained

Michael McDowell
Birth Name:Michael Christopher McDowell
Birth Date:21 December 1984
Birth Place:Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Achievements:2004 Star Mazda Championship Champion
2021 Daytona 500 Winner
2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard Winner
Awards:2007 ARCA Re/MAX Series Rookie of the Year
2003 Star Mazda Championship Rookie of the Year
Total Cup Races:485
Years In Cup:17
Cup Car Team:No. 34 (Front Row Motorsports)
Prev Cup Pos:15th
Previous Year:2023
Best Cup Pos:15th (2023)
First Cup Race:2008 Goody's Cool Orange 500 (Martinsville)
First Cup Win:2021 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Last Cup Win:2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (Indianapolis G.P.)
Cup Wins:2
Cup Top Tens:43
Cup Poles:3
Total Busch Races:94
Years In Busch:9
Prev Busch Pos:93rd
Prev Busch Year:2016
Best Busch Pos:13th (2009)
First Busch Race:2007 O'Reilly Challenge (Texas)
Last Busch Race:2016 Road America 180 (Road America)
First Busch Win:2016 Road America 180 (Road America)
Busch Wins:1
Busch Top Tens:20
Busch Poles:2
Total Truck Races:2
Years In Truck:2
Prev Truck Pos:111th
Prev Truck Year:2009
Best Truck Pos:111th (2009)
First Truck Race:2007 Kroger 200 (Martinsville)
Last Truck Race:2009 Heluva Good! 200 (Loudon)
Truck Wins:0
Truck Top Tens:0
Truck Poles:0
Total Arca Races:28
Years In Arca:2
Best Arca Pos:2nd (2007)
First Arca Race:2006 Governor's Cup 200 (Milwaukee)
Last Arca Race:2007 Hantz Group 200 (Toledo)
First Arca Win:2007 WLWT Channel 5 150 (Kentucky)
Last Arca Win:2007 Hantz Group 300 (Toledo)
Arca Wins:4
Arca Top Tens:18
Arca Poles:9
Updated:November 5, 2023
Module:
Embed:yes
Total Champ Races:2
Years In Champ:1
Best Champ Pos:21st (2005)
First Champ Race:2005 Lexmark Indy 300 (Surfers Paradise)
Last Champ Race:2005 Gran Premio Telmex Tecate (Mexico City)
Champ Wins:0
Champ Podiums:0
Champ Poles:0

Michael Christopher McDowell (born December 21, 1984)[1] is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports. He has also raced in open-wheel and sports cars.

McDowell began his career in open-wheel cars, which included competing in Formula Renault and Champ Car, and in sports cars like the Rolex Sports Car Series and 24 Hours of Daytona. He moved to stock car racing in 2006 and his first Cup Series season came in 2008, the latter of which saw him attract attention for a violent qualifying crash at Texas Motor Speedway. However, after losing his ride at Michael Waltrip Racing, much of McDowell's Cup career in the following years was with smaller teams, oftentimes as a start and park driver. McDowell did not run full-time in the Cup Series again until 2017 with Leavine Family Racing when he ran all 36 races. McDowell joined his current employer Front Row in 2018 and has raced full-time for the team ever since. He won the 2021 Daytona 500 with FRM, McDowell's first-ever win in the Cup Series. He also has a win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2016.

Early career

McDowell started his career at the age of three racing BMX bicycles. He would always win his division because there were not any other three or four year olds to compete against. At the start of each race, someone would have to hold him in the starting gate because his feet did not reach the ground. Then, when McDowell was eight years old, he moved to karting with help from his mother Tracy, his father Bill, and his older brother Billy, who were all avid race fans. After ten years in karts, he would win not only the World Karting Association championship, but he would also take back to back International Kart Federation championships, along with 18 consecutive feature wins.

Open wheel

From karts, McDowell moved into Formula Renault with World Speed Motorsports in 2002 and won the Infineon Raceway, Las Vegas, and Firebird International Raceway events in his rookies season. Moving up the ladder, McDowell would move to the Star Mazda Series in 2003. He took victories at Sebring and Road America en route to a runner-up finish in the points. McDowell won seven races in 2004 en route to winning the series championship. McDowell would be picked up by Champ Car team Rocketsports for Surfer's Paradise and Mexico City, but decided to move on in 2005 to the Grand-Am Cup Series.

Grand-Am

During his run for the Star Mazda Championship, McDowell met businessman Rob Finlay at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, where McDowell was an instructor. McDowell and Finlay soon established a partnership, and McDowell would drive his first sports car, a Porsche 996 in the Grand-Am Cup Series for Finlay Motorsports. In 2005, McDowell would stay at Finlay, but moved up to the Rolex Sports Car Series, joining veteran Memo Gidley in a BMW powered Riley sponsored by the Make A Wish Foundation. Together, they finished sixth in the overall points and took the team's first victory at Mexico City. McDowell made history by becoming the youngest driver to stand on the podium for a Grand-Am race at Barber Motorsports Park, and became the first driver since Mario Andretti to compete in both an open-wheel race and a sports car race in the same weekend. McDowell would also drive the team's No. 60 BMW M3 in the Grand-Am Cup series to a podium finish at Daytona International Speedway. McDowell would stick with Finlay for 2006 and was again partnered with Gidley. The duo would improve to fourth in points despite being winless. McDowell also drove a No. 15 Ford Mustang with owner Finlay, driving the car to a win at Barber Motorsports Park. He would cap off his Grand-Am year with a second-place finish at Miller Motorsports Park.

McDowell returned to the series for the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona, driving for Michael Shank Racing with drivers Jorge Goncalvez, Felipe Nasr, and Gastavo Yacamán. The four drivers would end up finishing third.[2] [3]

ARCA

ARCA RE/MAX Series owner Eddie Sharp put McDowell behind the wheel of his No. 2 Dodge for five races of the 2006 season, starting with the Governor's Cup 200 at the Milwaukee Mile, where he scored a 34th-place finish. McDowell finished in sixth place at Salem, fifth at Talladega, and fourth at Iowa. McDowell returned to ESR to run the full schedule for Rookie of the Year honors in 2007. McDowell was involved in controversy at Toledo Speedway when his ESR teammate, Ken Butler III spun him late in the race. Butler would take his first win while McDowell would rally for a top ten finish. McDowell got his first stock car win at Kentucky Speedway. He followed that up with wins at Pocono, Chicagoland, and the season finale at Toledo. Although McDowell was in contention for the ARCA Re/Max Series championship all season, he was unable to pose a serious threat to Frank Kimmel for Kimmel's ninth championship. McDowell scored a second-place finish in the points along with Rookie of the Year honors, as well as scoring nine pole positions during the season. As McDowell moved to NASCAR, his ESR ride was taken over by former Formula One driver Scott Speed.

NASCAR

2007–2008

McDowell made his NASCAR debut in the Craftsman Truck Series. Driving the No. 17 for Darrell Waltrip Motorsports, McDowell qualified 29th and finish 30th after a late wreck. McDowell moved to the Busch Series as a developmental driver for Nextel Cup Series team Michael Waltrip Racing. Driving the No. 00 Toyota, McDowell drove at Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead, finishing respectively 20th, 14th, and 32nd.

McDowell was chosen to drive the No. 00 Cup Series car in 2008 after Dale Jarrett's retirement; David Reutimann replaced Jarrett in the No. 44 UPS-sponsored car. McDowell started 34th and finished 26th in his Sprint Cup debut, the Goody's Cool Orange 500, after a flat tire near the end of the race. After the race, he was criticized by veteran driver Jeff Burton for having blocked Burton's way to leader Denny Hamlin near the end of the race (McDowell was racing for the Lucky Dog free pass, which Burton did not realize at the time of his comments). In early August 2008, McDowell was pulled from the No. 00 Toyota Camry Sprint Cup car in favor of veteran NASCAR driver Mike Skinner for three races. Skinner helped evaluate the team's progress, while trying to get the No. 00 into the Top 35 in owner points, though McDowell returned to the ride at Richmond on September 6, 2008. McDowell was again pulled from the No. 00 Toyota Camry when he failed to qualify for the Camping World RV 400 at Kansas on September 28. McDowell's contract was not renewed by MWR for 2009 when Michael Waltrip decided not to retire and the team did not have a sponsorship for another car.

Crash at Texas Motor Speedway

While performing a qualifying attempt for the 2008 Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 4, 2008, McDowell had an accident that was strikingly similar to that of another racer with a road-racing background, Gordon Smiley, who died in a crash during Indianapolis 500 time trials in 1982. McDowell's right front sway bar broke entering Turn 1, which caused the car to hit the SAFER barrier almost head-on at approximately 185mph, according to data obtained and reported by SPEED channel (185 mph to zero mph in one foot, as reported by SPEED's Bob Dillner, before accelerating in the other direction). The car spun around once while tipping onto its roof, and then barrel-rolled eight times with fire coming out of the engine compartment, shedding debris in all directions, until coming to a stop back onto its tires.[4] A large, dark impact mark was seen on the SAFER barrier, which showed how hard the car hit the barrier, which had to be repaired (the barrier moved inward when the car hit it), and as a result, qualifying for the race was delayed by an hour. The safety features of the barrier, the HANS device and the Car of Tomorrow racecar protected him. Because of this, he walked away from the crash without injury, and waved to the stunned crowd. Since his old car was destroyed, he had to switch to a backup car, and ended up starting at the rear of the field in the race.

2009

In 2009, McDowell drove a part-time schedule for JTG Daugherty Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. On February 25, 2009, McDowell's first child, Trace Christopher, was born, named after Michael's late mother, Tracy. The baby boy was 7 pounds, 7 ounces, and born at 7:00 a.m. McDowell next attempted the April 2009 race at Talladega for Prism Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series, as a regular driver Dave Blaney had a family obligation. After JTG Daugherty Racing ran out of sponsorship support after the second race at Daytona International Speedway, it was announced that he would drive the next two races for MacDonald Motorsports. He also competed in several races with Tommy Baldwin Racing in the No. 36 Toyota Camry. McDowell remained in the top 10 for most of the season. McDowell also competed in the Camping World Truck Series in 2009 for ThorSport Motorsports driving the No. 98 Chevy Silverado.

2010–2011

In 2010, McDowell started the season for Prism Motorsports. He drove the No. 55 car, then moved to the No. 46 team of Whitney Motorsports. In 2011, McDowell drove the No. 66 Toyota for HP Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. JGR also added the Bucyrus 200 at Road America to McDowell's schedule, leaving open the possibility of more races added. McDowell also drove one race for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series at Texas after NASCAR parked Kyle Busch following his actions at a Truck Series event.

2012–2013

In 2012, McDowell ran the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Nationwide Series car in select races, and competed in the Sprint Cup Series for Phil Parsons Racing (formerly HP Racing) full-time; the team secured full sponsorship for the first five races of the season.[5] It formed a partnership with Whitney Motorsports and Mike Curb to field McDowell's car, which carried the No. 98.[6]

In the 2013 Daytona 500, McDowell recorded a then-career high 9th-place finish.[7] Later in the season in the Nationwide Series, McDowell won the pole for the inaugural Nationwide Children's Hospital 200 at Mid-Ohio.[8] McDowell finished 2nd behind A. J. Allmendinger.[9]

2014: Leavine Family Racing

In October 2013, it was announced that McDowell would be moving to Leavine Family Racing's No. 95 Ford for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.[10] McDowell failed to qualify for the 2014 Daytona 500.[11] McDowell had a Sprint Cup career-best seventh-place finish in the Coke Zero 400.[12]

At the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, on lap 64, Greg Biffle came up on Ryan Newman's front bumper, turning him into the outside retaining wall. His car ricocheted off the wall into McDowell's path where Newman barely clipped McDowell in the right rear of his car, and with the force of the impact, the rear end housing was snapped, causing him to get airborne. The car bounced twice in the air before it hit the wall. His housing was forced into the wall. The race was red-flagged, though both drivers were unharmed.http://www.motorsport.com:8080/nascar-cup/news/newman-calls-out-watkins-glen-officials/455241/?filters%5Bevent%5D%5B0%5D%5Btitle%5D=Watkins+Glen&filters%5Bevent%5D%5B0%5D%5Bvalue%5D=8318&nrt=119

2015–2016

McDowell returned to the LFR No. 95 car for a 20-race schedule in 2015. The team merged with Circle Sport in 2016 and switched to Chevrolet, with McDowell splitting the schedule with Ty Dillon with sponsorship from Thrivent Financial, Cheerios, and WRL Contractors among others.[13] The season started with McDowell placing 15th in the 2016 Daytona 500, a best for LFR in the Great American Race. McDowell was able to get a 10th-place finish in the 2016 Coke Zero 400, his best finish of the season so far. At the end of the season at Homestead, McDowell drove the No. 59 Chevrolet after CSLFR purchased a charter from the closing Tommy Baldwin Racing. McDowell ran decent all night and towards the end, he was able to avoid the big wreck involving Championship contender Carl Edwards and was able to get a 10th-place finish, his first non restrictor plate top 10 finish.

McDowell drove for Richard Childress Racing in the No. 2 Rheem Chevrolet in a one-race deal at Road America which got McDowell his first NASCAR victory. McDowell led the final 24 laps en route to the win.

2017

McDowell returned to Leavine Family Racing's No. 95 Chevrolet in 2017. He started the season with a 15th-place finish in the Daytona 500. At Kansas, McDowell scored a season-best 13th-place finish. At Dover, McDowell scored his third straight top-20 finish, a career first, when he finished 19th upon avoiding a last-lap crash. At Daytona for the Coke Zero 400, McDowell spent most of the race towards the front and competed late for the win, as he was in second place on the last lap before ending the race with a career-best 4th-place finish, his first career top-five finish. It was also the best finishing result for Leavine Family Racing as a team.

McDowell completed 99 percent of the laps in 2017, the most among any full-time driver in the Cup Series that season, and finished a career-best 26th in the standings. It would be his final season with LFR.

2018: Front Row Motorsports

On September 19, 2017, Leavine announced Kasey Kahne would be replacing McDowell in the No. 95 car for the 2018 season.[14] On November 24, 2017, Front Row Motorsports announced that McDowell would drive their No. 34 car full-time in 2018, replacing Landon Cassill.[15] In the first race of the season, McDowell raced up front late and finished 9th in the 2018 Daytona 500, his fifth straight top-15 finish at Daytona (and third top ten in the last four races at the track) and tied his career-best finish in the race. McDowell would have a strong run in the 2018 Coke Zero Sugar 400 leading 20 laps, a career-best, and would finish second in stage 2 behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Unfortunately with 7 laps to go McDowell would crash out of the race and finish 26th. McDowell would later tie his best finish in the cup series points standings of 26th after leading laps at his final race of the season in Homestead.

2019

250px|thumb|right|McDowell practicing at Pocono in 2019

In 2019, McDowell returned to the No. 34 car for Front Row Motorsports. McDowell's longtime sponsor K-Love took a year-long break from being a primary sponsor of his car. In the 2019 Daytona 500, the first race of the season, he qualified in 34th and finished in 5th, which would become his career-best finish in the Daytona 500 as well as his second-best finish in a Cup Series race. After the race, 2018 champion Joey Logano confronted McDowell for not helping him win the Daytona 500, in which McDowell stated, "My team doesn't pay me to push you."[16] During qualifying for the 2019 TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway, McDowell had an on-track incident with Daniel Suárez, which resulted in a fight on pit road.[17]

Two days before the 2019 Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, McDowell was rushed to the hospital after complaining of abdominal failure. He was cleared to race after passing kidney stones during the examination.[18] McDowell would go on to run up front in the 1000bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, and even had a chance to win the race being in third place on the final lap of the race, and would finish 5th, capturing his second top 5 of 2019, the first time he would have multiple top 5s in a single cup series season in his career.

2020

On December 12, 2019, Front Row Motorsports announced that McDowell would return to the No. 34 for the 2020 season.[19] McDowell started the year off with a 14th-place finish in the 2020 Daytona 500, his fifth consecutive top 15 in the Daytona 500 and his 8th top 15 in his last 9 Daytona races. McDowell would go on to qualify 3rd for the second Charlotte race due to the random draw and McDowell has boomed onto the scene since coming off of NASCAR's break. McDowell would capture an 8th-place finish at Pocono and following a DNF, a 7th-place finish at Indianapolis, marking the first time in his career he earned two top 10s two weeks in a row. McDowell would set a career-best for most top 15s in a season in just 16 races with 6 and has finished higher than his qualifying efforts 15 of his 20 starts. In his first 20 starts, McDowell had more lead lap finishes than the likes of Kyle Busch, Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson, William Byron, Alex Bowman, and Ryan Blaney, finishing on the lead lap 15 of the first 20 races that season. During the All-Star Open at Bristol Motor Speedway, McDowell would win the pole and run up front most of the day before an on-track incident with driver Bubba Wallace which led to an angry interview from Wallace, as well as leaving the front bumper of his car by McDowell's garage. McDowell and Wallace later set aside their differences and along with McDowell's sponsor carparts.com, used the front bumper to raise over $34,000 for multiple charities including Victory Junction, and eventually gave away the front bumper to a fan. McDowell would capture his first top 10 finish on a road course in his career at the Daytona road course and would earn his new best career points standings finish in the cup series in 23rd. It was announced a month before the 2021 season started that McDowell had signed a one-year contract extension with FRM to return to the 34 for the following season.

2021: Daytona 500 win and first playoff appearance

McDowell remained in FRM's No. 34 for a fourth year in 2021.[20] He won the season-opening Daytona 500 after avoiding a crash involving the leaders Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski on the final lap.[21] Before his big victory, McDowell had the second-most Cup Series starts before his first win. It was his first Cup Series win in his 358th start, second only to Michael Waltrip, whose first win came in his 463rd start. He would go on to finish the first 3 races of the season inside the top 10. McDowell also nearly won at Talladega in the spring, finishing a close third behind Keselowski and Byron. McDowell would follow this performance by a strong 7th-place finish at the inaugural cup series race at Circuit of the Americas after early contact with Martin Truex Jr. McDowell's win at Daytona locked him into the All-Star Race and the NASCAR playoffs for the first time in his 14-year cup series career. McDowell was eliminated from the playoffs following the conclusion of the Round of 16 at Bristol.[22] He finished the season with one win, two top-fives, five top-tens, an average finish of 20.5, and finished 16th in the points standings.

2022

McDowell started the 2022 season with a seventh place finish at the 2022 Daytona 500. He scored seven top-10 finishes during the regular season. On July 26, crew chief Blake Harris was suspended for four races and fined 100,000 for an L2 Penalty during post-race inspection after the 2022 M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono. The penalty came under Sections 14.1 C, D and Q and 14.5 A and B in the NASCAR Rule Book, both of which pertain to the body and overall vehicle assembly rules surrounding modification of a single-source supplied part. In addition, the No. 34 team was docked 100 driver and owner points and 10 playoff points.[23]

2023: Return to the playoffs

McDowell began the 2023 season with a 28th place finish at the 2023 Daytona 500. He dominated the Indianapolis road race, landing him in the playoffs and earning him his second career win.[24] He was eliminated at the conclusion of the Round of 16.[25] He finished the season with 1 win, 2 top fives, 8 top tens, an average finish of 19.0, and finished 15th in the point standings.

2024: First career pole and final year with FRM

McDowell had his first pole at Atlanta after 467 Cup Series starts. At the race at Talladega, McDowell was leading on the final lap when he spun out trying to block Brad Keselowski. He finished 31st, not crossing the start-finish line and being marked with a DNF. On May 8, 2024, McDowell announced he would leave FRM at the end of the 2024 season and he had signed a multi-year contract with Spire Motorsports to drive the No. 71 Chevrolet starting in 2025.[26] On June 1, 2024, McDowell won his 3rd pole of the season for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway. He set a new track record in Round 1 of qualifying with a 32.318s (139.241 mph) lap time.

Personal life

McDowell is married to Jami and they have five children.[27] McDowell is a Christian.[28]

McDowell and Justin Marks currently own a karting facility called the Trackhouse Motorplex, located 30 miles north of Charlotte, North Carolina. The facility opened in October 2012 and is inspired by another karting track located in Parma, Italy.[29]

Motorsports career results

American Open-Wheel series

(key)

Champ Car

NASCAR

(key) (

Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series

NASCAR Cup Series results
YearTeamNo.Make123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536PtsRef
2008Michael Waltrip Racing00ToyotaDAYCALLVSATLBRIMAR
26
TEX
33
PHO
34
TAL
26
RCH
40
DAR
28
CLT
32
DOV
30
POC
27
MCH
37
SON
21
NHA
42
DAY
25
CHI
43
IND
34
POC
24
GLN
25
MCHBRICALRCH
20
NHA
27
DOV
29
KAN
DNQ
TALCLTMARATLTEXPHOHOM40th1466[31]
2009Prism Motorsports66ToyotaDAYCALLVSATLBRIMARTEXPHOTAL
DNQ
RCHDARCLTDOVPOCMCHSONNHADAYCHIINDPOCGLNMCHBRIATL52nd326[32]
Tommy Baldwin Racing36ToyotaRCH
41
NHA
41
DOV
38
KAN
DNQ
CAL
40
CLT
DNQ
MAR
41
TALTEX
41
PHO
41
HOM
43
2010Prism Motorsports55ToyotaDAY
33
CAL
42
LVS
42
ATL
42
BRIMAR
43
RCH
DNQ
DAR
40
DOV
42
CLT
42
POC
39
MCHSONNHA
41
DAY
DNQ
CHI
DNQ
IND
42
POC
43
GLN
42
MCH
42
BRI
43
45th870[33]
66PHO
43
TEX
41
TAL
Whitney Motorsports46ChevyATL
39
KAN
40
CAL
39
CLT
39
MAR
DNQ
TAL
35
TEX
DNQ
PHO
DNQ
HOM
DNQ
DodgeRCH
DNQ
NHA
43
DOV
39
2011HP Racing66ToyotaDAY
DNQ
PHO
41
LVS
41
BRI
43
CAL
43
MAR
32
TEX
40
TAL
DNQ
RCH
40
DAR
43
DOV
43
CLT
39
KAN
41
POC
41
MCH
43
SON
30
DAY
42
KEN
41
NHA
40
IND
37
POCGLN
41
MCHBRI
39
ATL
41
RCH
39
CHI
43
NHA
37
DOV
40
KAN
39
CLT
39
TAL
40
MAR
39
TEX
QL
PHO
40
HOM
43
36th139[34]
Joe Gibbs Racing18ToyotaTEX
33
2012Phil Parsons Racing98FordDAY
30
PHO
43
LVS
38
BRI
31
CAL
38
MAR
40
TEX
41
KAN
40
RCH
39
TAL
43
DAR
DNQ
CLT
36
DOV
42
POC
34
MCH
38
SONKEN
38
DAY
43
NHA
40
IND
DNQ
POCGLN
37
MCHBRI
23
ATL
DNQ
RCH
41
CHI
43
NHA
37
DOV
38
TAL
31
CLT
31
KAN
43
MAR
39
TEX
38
PHO
38
HOM
41
37th187[35]
2013DAY
9
PHO
Wth
LVS
43
BRI
42
CAL
42
MAR
43
TEX
43
KAN
42
RCH
41
TAL
21
DAR
42
CLT
42
DOV
42
POC
40
MCH
42
SONKEN
38
DAY
42
NHA
42
IND
32
POC
40
BRI
41
ATL
42
RCH
43
CHI
43
DOV
43
KAN
38
CLT
40
TAL
15
MAR
26
TEX
43
PHO
32
HOM
43
37th210[36]
Front Row Motorsports35FordGLN
38
MCH
HScott Motorsports51ChevyNHA
30
2014Leavine Family Racing95FordDAY
DNQ
PHO
33
LVS
43
BRI
37
CALMAR
37
TEX
30
DARRCH
DNQ
TAL
36
KANCLT
30
DOVPOCMCHSON
24
KENDAY
7
NHAIND
26
POCGLN
42
MCHBRI
18
ATL
DNQ
RCHCHI
32
NHADOVKAN
35
CLT
29
TAL
41
MARTEX
30
PHO
31
HOM
21
37th255[37]
2015DAY
31
ATL
27
LVS
30
PHOCALMARTEX
31
BRI
22
RCHTAL
DNQ
KAN
36
CLT
30
DOVPOCMCHSON
34
DAY
DNQ
KEN
DNQ
NHAIND
31
POCGLN
20
MCHBRI
31
DARRCH
42
CHI
DNQ
NHADOVCLT
31
KANTAL
28
MARTEX
34
PHOHOM
33
39th213[38]
2016Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing59ChevyDAY
15
HOM
10
30th500[39]
95ATL
33
LVS
29
PHO
26
CAL
31
MAR
24
TEXBRI
29
RCH
31
TAL
21
KAN
28
DOV
20
CLT
34
POCMCHSON
39
DAY
10
KENNHA
39
IND
23
POC
23
GLN
17
BRI
19
MCH
31
DAR
27
RCH
12
CHI
37
NHA
26
DOVCLT
14
KAN
22
TAL
16
MAR
18
TEX
23
PHO
34
2017Leavine Family RacingDAY
15
ATL
29
LVS
18
PHO
24
CAL
33
MAR
26
TEX
23
BRI
26
RCH
29
TAL
34
KAN
13
CLT
19
DOV
19
POC
24
MCH
23
SON
14
DAY
4
KEN
23
NHA
26
IND
18
POC
18
GLN
12
MCH
27
BRI
20
DAR
19
RCH
16
CHI
30
NHA
23
DOV
27
CLT
35
TAL
30
KAN
18
MAR
19
TEX
21
PHO
22
HOM
24
26th542[40]
2018Front Row Motorsports34FordDAY
9
ATL
24
LVS
37
PHO
32
CAL
26
MAR
21
TEX
14
BRI
38
RCH
31
TAL
32
DOV
22
KAN
20
CLT
18
POC
21
MCH
25
SON
21
CHI
21
DAY
26
KEN
24
NHA
26
POC
16
GLN
18
MCH
25
BRI
37
DAR
20
IND
17
LVS
29
RCH
24
ROV
18
DOV
26
TAL
40
KAN
27
MAR
25
TEX
29
PHO
16
HOM
28
26th493[41]
2019DAY
5
ATL
37
LVS
30
PHO
36
CAL
24
MAR
31
TEX
15
BRI
28
RCH
36
TAL
40
DOV
24
KAN
26
CLT
22
POC
20
MCH
27
SON
25
CHI
20
DAY
13
KEN
25
NHA
17
POC
25
GLN
16
MCH
22
BRI
37
DAR
38
IND
17
LVS
24
RCH
21
ROV
12
DOV
24
TAL
5
KAN
24
MAR
23
TEX
25
PHO
30
HOM
26
27th485[42]
2020DAY
14
LVS
36
CAL
22
PHO
16
DAR
23
DAR
17
CLT
18
CLT
25
BRI
14
ATL
24
MAR
14
HOM
15
TAL
18
POC
8
POC
40
IND
7
KEN
24
TEX
15
KAN
16
NHA
19
MCH
29
MCH
28
DRC
10
DOV
26
DOV
25
DAY
14
DAR
16
RCH
25
BRI
10
LVS
21
TAL
36
ROV
32
KAN
19
TEX
26
MAR
28
PHO
23
23rd588[43]
2021DAY
1
DRC
8
HOM
6
LVS
17
PHO
23
ATL
19
BRD
12
MAR
31
RCH
27
TAL
3
KAN
13
DAR
27
DOV
25
COA
7
CLT
20
SON
28
NSH
16
POC
19
POC
17
ROA
30
ATL
27
NHA
25
GLN
21
IRC
30
MCH
20
DAY
39
DAR
37
RCH
28
BRI
24
LVS
21
TAL
17
ROV
16
TEX
17
KAN
16
MAR
26
PHO
24
16th2152[44]
2022DAY
7
CAL
31
LVS
27
PHO
27
ATL
24
COA
13
RCH
30
MAR
25
BRD
9
TAL
8
DOV
17
DAR
7
KAN
23
CLT
8
GTW
18
SON
3
NSH
13
ROA
8
ATL
15
NHA
28
POC
6
IRC
8
MCH
28
RCH
29
GLN
6
DAY
32
DAR
6
KAN
16
BRI
11
TEX
11
TAL
3
ROV
27
LVS
19
HOM
16
MAR
17
PHO
25
23rd663[45]
2023DAY
28
CAL
18
LVS
25
PHO
13
ATL
21
COA
12
RCH
6
BRD
11
MAR
19
TAL
35
DOV
22
KAN
26
DAR
33
CLT
28
GTW
9
SON
7
NSH
28
CSC
7
ATL
4
NHA
13
POC
19
RCH
22
MCH
24
IRC
1*
GLN
36
DAY
13
DAR
32
KAN
26
BRI
6
TEX
15
TAL
21
ROV
32
LVS
17
HOM
22
MAR
25
PHO
9
15th2185[46]
DAY
36
ATL
8
LVS
25
PHO
8
BRI
11
COA
38
RCH
26
MAR
21
TEX
35
TAL
31*
DOV
36
KAN
10
DAR
10
CLT
16
GTW
25
SON
2
IOW
23
NHA
15
NSH
35
CSC
5
POC
24
IND
16
RCH
15
MCH
19
DAY
DARATLGLNBRIKANTALROVLVSHOMMARPHO-*-*[47]
– Qualified but replaced by Josh Wise. McDowell changed teams after NASCAR parked Kyle Busch.
Daytona 500
YearTeamManufacturerStartFinish
2010Prism MotorsportsToyota29align=center style="background:#EFCFFF;"33
2011HP Racingalign=center colspan=2 style="background:#FFCFCF;"DNQ
2012Phil Parsons RacingFord11align=center style="background:#CFCFFF;"30
201338align=center style="background:#FFDF9F;"9
2014Leavine Family RacingFordalign=center colspan=2 style="background:#FFCFCF;"DNQ
201523align=center style="background:#CFCFFF;"31
2016Circle Sport – Leavine Family RacingChevrolet39align=center style="background:#DFFFDF;"15
2017Leavine Family Racing22align=center style="background:#DFFFDF;"15
2018Front Row MotorsportsFord22align=center style="background:#FFDF9F;"9
201934align=center style="background:#DFDFDF;"5
202026align=center style="background:#DFFFDF;"14
202117align=center style="background:#FFFFBF;"1
20226align=center style="background:#FFDF9F;"7
202311align=center style="background:#CFCFFF;"28
20242align=center style="background:#CFCFFF;"36

Xfinity Series

NASCAR Xfinity Series results
YearTeamNo.Make1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435PtsRef
2007Michael Waltrip Racing00ToyotaDAYCALMXCLVSATLBRINSHTEXPHOTALRCHDARCLTDOVNSHKENMLWNHADAYCHIGTYIRPCGVGLNMCHBRICALRCHDOVKANCLTMEMTEX
20
PHO
14
HOM
32
94th291[48]
2008DAY
27
CALLVSATLBRINSHTEXPHOMXCTALRCHDARCLTDOVNSHKENMLWNHADAYCHIGTYIRPCGV112th119[49]
MSRP Motorsports91ChevyGLN
42
MCHBRICALRCHDOVKANCLTMEMTEXPHOHOM
2009JTG Daugherty Racing47ToyotaDAY
14
CAL
36
LVS
6
BRI
31
TEX
17
NSH
15
PHO
11
TAL
15
RCH
8
DAR
33
CLT
20
DOV
11
NSH
8
KEN
29
MLW
14
NHA
15
DAY
13
KAN
39
13th3449[50]
MacDonald Motorsports81DodgeCHI
25
GTY
32
IRP
28
Whitney Motorsports26DodgeIOW
8
GLN
27
MCH
17
BRI
10
RCH
19
CAL
38
96CGV
11
ATL
35
DOV
29
KAN
DNQ
CLT
23
MEM
21
TEX
29
PHO
25
HOM
2010MacDonald Motorsports81DodgeDAY
24
CAL
21
LVS
39
BRI
18
NSH
37
PHO
18
TEX
26
TAL
23
RCH
29
DAR
19
DOV
30
CLT
20
NSH
30
KEN
28
ROA
33
NHA
20
DAY
35
CHI
35
GTY
DNQ
IRP
20
IOW
13
GLN
10
MCH
28
BRI
20
CGV
37
ATL
27
RCH
37
DOV
28
KAN
19
CAL
18
CLT
26
GTY
30
TEX
36
PHO
26
HOM
DNQ
21st2770[51]
2011Joe Gibbs Racing18ToyotaDAYPHOLVSBRICALTEXTALNSHRCHDARDOVIOW
7
CLTCHIMCHROA
12
DAYKENNHANSHIRP
10
IOW
9
GLNCGV
3
BRIATLRCHCHIDOVKANCLTTEXPHOHOM106th01[52]
2012DAYPHOLVSBRICALTEXRCHTALDARIOW
3
CLTDOVROA
2
KENDAYNHACHIINDIOW
6
GLNCGV
6
BRIATLRCHCHIKEN111th01[53]
20MCH
7
SR² Motorsports00ToyotaDOV
40
CLTKANTEXPHOHOM
201327DAYPHOLVSBRI
40
CAL
36
100th01[54]
00TEX
DNQ
RCH
22
TALDARCLTDOVIOWMCHBRI
DNQ
ATLRCHCHIKENDOVKANCLT
Joe Gibbs Racing18ToyotaROA
34
KENDAYNHACHIINDIOWGLNMOH
2
TriStar Motorsports10ToyotaTEX
40
PHO
91HOM
40
2014Joe Gibbs Racing20ToyotaDAYPHOLVSBRICALTEXDARRCHTALIOW
7
CLTDOVMCHROAKENDAYNHACHIINDIOW
2
GLNMOHBRIATLRCHCHI87th01[55]
Team Penske22FordKEN
8
DOVKANCLTTEXPHOHOM
2016Richard Childress Racing2ChevyDAYATLLVSPHOCALTEXBRIRCHTALDOVCLTPOCMCHIOWDAYKENNHAINDIOWGLNMOHBRIROA
1*
DARRCHCHIKENDOVCLTKANTEXPHOHOM93rd01[56]

Camping World Truck Series

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results
YearTeamNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425PtsRef
2007Darrell Waltrip Motorsports17ToyotaDAYCALATLMARKANLOWMFDDOVTEXMCHMLWMEMKENIRPNSHBRIGTWNHALVSTALMAR
30
ATLTEXPHOHOM117th0[57]
2009ThorSport Racing98ChevyDAYCALATLMARKANCLTDOVTEXMCHMLWMEMKENIRPNSHBRICHIIOWGTWNHA
14
LVSMARTALTEXPHOHOM111th0[58]

Season still in progress
Ineligible for series points

ARCA Re/Max Series

(key) (

Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
ARCA Re/Max Series results
YearTeamNo.Make1234567891011121314151617181920212223PtsRef
2006Hixson Motorsports2DodgeDAYNSHSLMWINKENTOLPOCMCHKANKENBLNPOCGTWNSHMCHISFMIL
34
TOLDSF40th965[59]
Eddie Sharp RacingCHI
38
SLM
6
TAL
5
IOW
4
2007DAY
10
USA
18
NSH
33
SLM
3
KAN
11
WIN
22*
KEN
39
TOL
7*
IOW
2
POC
6
BLN
2*
KEN
1*
POC
1
NSH
19
ISF
2
MIL
4
GTW
3*
DSF
36
CHI
1*
SLM
3
TAL
33
TOL
1*
2nd5455[60]
ToyotaMCH
8

24 Hours of Daytona

(key)

24 Hours of Daytona results
YearClassNoTeamCarCo-driversLapsPositionClass Pos.
2005DP19 Ten MotorsportsBMW Riley DP Memo Gidley
Michael Valiante
Jonathan Bomarito
4654219
2006DP19 Playboy/Uniden RacingFord Crawford DP Memo Gidley
Alex Barron
71666
2007DP19 Finlay MotorsportsFord Crawford DP Rob Finlay
Michael Valiante
Bobby Labonte
62710 10
2008DP09 Spirit of Daytona RacingPorsche Fabcar DP Guy Cosmo
Marc-Antoine Camirand
6521510
2011DP6 Michael Shank RacingFord Dallara DP A. J. Allmendinger
Justin Wilson
71977
2012DP6 Michael Shank RacingFord Dallara DP Jorge Goncalvez
Felipe Nasr
Gustavo Yacamán
76133

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Michael McDowell Career Statistics – Racing-Reference.info.
  2. Web site: Rolex Sports Car Series News . February 7, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120215080809/http://www.grand-am.com/news/index.cfm?series=r . February 15, 2012 .
  3. Web site: 01/29/2012 race: Rolex 24 at Daytona (GA). www.racing-reference.info. March 15, 2019.
  4. http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/7989468/New-car-proved-it-works,-but-NASCAR-can't-rest New car proved it works, but NASCAR can't rest
  5. Web site: Michael McDowell Has Promising Opportunities in 2012. Warren. Lee. January 18, 2012. Yahoo! Sports. January 19, 2012. January 22, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120122062323/http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=ycn-10841309. dead.
  6. Web site: McDowell gets full-time ride with Parsons team. February 15, 2012. NASCAR.com. Turner Sports. February 16, 2012.
  7. Web site: Wackerlin. Jeff. McDowell, Yeley Shine at Daytona. Motor Racing Network. February 25, 2013. March 24, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130401050158/http://www.motorracingnetwork.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2013/02/McDowell-Yeley-Shine-at-Daytona.aspx. April 1, 2013. dead.
  8. Web site: Miller. Rusty. McDowell on pole for Nationwide race at Mid-Ohio. https://archive.today/20130817203328/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mcdowell-pole-nationwide-race-mid-175416222--nascar.html. dead. August 17, 2013. Yahoo! Sports. August 17, 2013. August 17, 2013.
  9. Web site: Nationwide Children's Hospital 200. NASCAR. August 17, 2013.
  10. Web site: McDowell gets 2014 Cup ride with Leavine. October 28, 2013. Yahoo! Sports. October 28, 2013. October 29, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029212139/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mcdowell-gets-2014-cup-ride-151800070--nascar.html. dead.
  11. Web site: Daytona Qualifying and Starting Lineup. Jayski's Silly Season Site. February 20, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140221232637/http://www.jayski.com/news/stats/2014/story/_/page/01-Daytona-2014-Qualifying-Lineup. February 21, 2014. dead.
  12. Web site: 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Daytona.
  13. Web site: NASCAR MEDIA TOUR DAY 3: Ty Dillon, Michael McDowell to split time in 95 car. WDBJ. January 21, 2016. January 21, 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160123225358/http://www.wdbj7.com/sports/nascar-media-tour-day-3-ty-dillon-michael-mcdowell-to-split-time-in-95-car/37458546. January 23, 2016.
  14. Web site: Mayer. Matthew. NASCAR playoff driver Kasey Kahne to drive for Leavine Family Racing in 2018. CBSSports.com. September 19, 2017. September 19, 2017.
  15. Web site: Michael McDowell will replace Landon Cassill at Front Row Motorsports. sports.yahoo.com. 14 December 2017 . en-US. March 15, 2019.
  16. Web site: Help a Ford buddy out: Joey Logano 'surprised' Michael McDowell didn't push him at the end of Daytona 500 . . February 17, 2019 . March 15, 2019.
  17. Web site: Suarez, McDowell get physical on pit road during qualifying . Pat . DeCola . NASCAR.com . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. . March 8, 2019 . March 11, 2019.
  18. Web site: Michael McDowell taken to hospital with abdominal pain UPDATE: cleared to race . Scott . Page . . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. . September 27, 2019 . September 29, 2019.
  19. Web site: Front Row Motorsports fielding two cars in 2020 with Michael McDowell and John Hunter Nemecheck . Scott . Page . . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. . December 12, 2019 . December 12, 2019.
  20. News: Estrada. Chris. Front Row Motorsports reveals 2021 driver lineup. NBC Sports. January 6, 2021. February 2, 2021.
  21. News: Michael McDowell wins rain-delayed Daytona 500 after last-lap wreck. AP. ESPN.com. ESPN. February 14, 2021. February 15, 2021.
  22. Web site: Kyle Larson wins wild NASCAR Cup elimination race at Bristol . . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. . September 18, 2021 . September 19, 2021.
  23. Web site: Front Row Motorsports No. 34 team penalized 100 points, fined $100,000 . NASCAR.com . NASCAR Digital Media, LLC . July 26, 2022 . July 27, 2022.
  24. Web site: Michael McDowell wins Cup Series race at Indy Road Course; clinches playoff berth . Reid . Spencer . . August 13, 2023 . August 14, 2023.
  25. Web site: Denny Hamlin caps off strong night at Bristol, wins to conclude Round of 16 . Reid . Spencer . . September 16, 2023 . September 17, 2023.
  26. Web site: Michael McDowell leaving Front Row Motorsports at season’s end: UPDATE: Moving to Spire . . NASCAR Digital Media . May 8, 2024 . May 9, 2024.
  27. Web site: Michael McDowell - Official Site of Front Row Motorsports . Front Row Motorsports . August 8, 2020 . July 20, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200720004631/http://www.teamfrm.com/michael-mcdowell.html . dead .
  28. Web site: Mercer . Kevin . 'Thankful' Michael McDowell wins Daytona 500: 'I've just got to thank God' . Sports Spectrum . February 15, 2021 . February 20, 2021.
  29. News: Gluck. Jeff. NASCAR drivers flock to kart track, racer's Disneyland. USA Today. June 20, 2013. June 20, 2013.
  30. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2005 Champ Car World Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  31. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  32. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  33. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  34. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  35. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  36. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  37. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  38. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  39. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  40. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  41. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  42. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  43. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. November 8, 2020.
  44. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. December 25, 2021.
  45. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 20, 2022.
  46. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 23, 2023.
  47. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. February 17, 2024.
  48. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  49. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  50. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  51. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  52. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  53. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  54. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  55. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  56. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  57. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  58. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  59. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2006 ARCA Re/Max Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.
  60. Web site: Michael McDowell – 2007 ARCA Re/Max Series Results. Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. June 16, 2020.