At 40 years old, Michael McDowell admits he feels the same hunger to compete as he did when he first arrived in NASCAR nearly two decades ago. Despite a winless first season with Spire Motorsports, the veteran driver insists that retirement isn’t even a consideration.
“Well, do I see that in the future? Not in the near future,” McDowell said last weekend at Phoenix. “For me, I have been doing this a long time but for those who have followed the sport, they know my first 10 years were a struggle where I was not in a competitive environment or enjoying myself. I was just trying to stay in the sport and stay in a seat long enough to get to where I am now.”
When McDowell transitioned from the Champ Car World Series to NASCAR in 2006, he joined smaller teams without the resources to compete for victories. For years, his most memorable moment was a terrifying barrel-roll crash at Texas Motor Speedway in 2008 while driving for Michael Waltrip Racing.
He spent much of his early NASCAR career driving for start-and-park teams and underfunded outfits, simply working to stay relevant. His persistence paid off when he joined Front Row Motorsports, where he captured the 2021 Daytona 500 and followed it up with a win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2022.
Now driving for Spire Motorsports, McDowell believes the team can compete with the sport’s elite. “I’m still very excited about showing up to the race track, knowing we can run well, and challenge for wins. For me, that’s what motivates me to keep going,” he said. “So I don’t see retirement in the near future but you know how this sport is, it’s just a matter of time before the next fast guy comes to replace me and it’s just when is he ready and am I still performing at that point.
“This is a performance-based business and we all know that. So, I feel like I am performing well right now.”
McDowell finished 22nd in the championship standings this season but was left reflecting on several near-misses. He looked set to win on the Streets of Chicago before a broken throttle cable ended his race while leading. He also showed strong pace with top-five finishes in Mexico City, Sonoma, and at the Charlotte ROVAL.
Even without a win, McDowell said the progress at Spire has been encouraging. “We have to outwork them,” he said, referring to powerhouse teams like Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Team Penske. “We have to be efficient and be creative. This car still provides me a good platform. You’ve seen me run up front, in the top five and top 10, so yes, the big teams have broken away from an execution and wins standpoint but I feel like we have speed in our cars. We just have to build chemistry and continuity to do it at a high level and I think we’re getting there.”
