Michael McDowell competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports. With over 450 races under his belt, he is considered the veteran of the series. Even though his winning record is not as impressive as drivers of his age, he is still regarded as one of the most consistent drivers in the series.
Michael’s passion for racing was evident when he started racing BMX bicycles. He transitioned to go-karts when he was eight years old. His excellent performance in go-kart racing yielded him a World Karting Association championship and double International Kart Federation championships.
Wins in Open Wheel racing series
Due to Michael’s success in go-karts, he was given the opportunity to race in Formula Renault by the World Speed Motorsports team in 2002. He continued his excellent performance in the series and won two races in his rookie season.
Hence, due to this performance, he was given yet another opportunity to step up to the Star Mazda Series in 2003. He managed to win two races in the series and had good consistent results, finishing as runner-up in points. His breakthrough season came a year later in 2004 when he won the championship and collected seven race wins.
Wins in ARCA
Seeing Michael's potential in open-wheel racing, Eddie Sharp gave him an opportunity to drive for his team, ESR, for five races in the 2006 ARCA RE/MAX Series.
Due to his consistent performance in the five races, he was given a full-time seat for the 2007 season. In this season, he won his first stock car race when he finished first at the Kentucky Speedway. Consequently, he won three more races in that season at Pocono, Chicagoland, and Toledo. He finished the season as runner-up and won the Rookie of the Year award.
This performance brought Michael into the spotlight of attention from NASCAR.
NASCAR Cup Series Wins
Michael's initial years in NASCAR were spent as a development driver for the NASCAR Cup Series team, Michael Waltrip Racing. He got his opportunity to drive full time in the 2008 Cup Series season following Dale Jarrett's retirement.
Michael struggled to win a race in the Cup Series for more than a decade but was a consistent performer. He won his first race after 13 years of being in the series when he won the prestigious Daytona 500 in the 2021 season. His second win in the series came in 2023, Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.
Along with the Cup Series, Michael used to race part-time in the Xfinity series where he competed in 94 races and won just one race, the 2016 Road America 180.
FAQ's On Michael McDowell Wins
A. Michael McDowell started racing go-karts at the age of four.
A. Michael McDowell won his Star Mazda Series championship in 2004.
A. Michael McDowell won his first stock car race at Kentucky Speedway in 2007.
A. McDowell won his only NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the 2016 Road America 180.
A. Michael McDowell won his first NASCAR Cup Series race in 2021 at the prestigious Daytona 500.
