Michael McDowell: 2025 NASCAR Driver Profile

What the Phoenix native needs to change this year is Lady Luck. He uncharacteristically posted the worst superspeedway average finish of all drivers in 2024 despite putting together a ludicrous average start of 1.1. Those disappointments were the story for McDowell last year, despite a runner-up showing in Sonoma and a fifth-place run at the Chicago Street Race.

A bright spot was qualifying, where McDowell surprised everyone with a series-high six pole positions. It’s a huge boost for Spire, who had just two top-5 qualifying runs among all three of their teams last season. But McDowell has to finish what he started; he earned just one top-10 result in those six races while posting a shocking position differential of minus-147.

Michael McDowell career stats

The move to Spire won’t come without growing pains, especially considering how many years it took McDowell to help elevate FRM to the team it is today. But Spire continues to pour resources into its operation, and the Spire of today is unrecognizable from its humble beginnings six years ago.

It’s a good match for McDowell, who endured years of starting and parking to eventually carve out a winning career at the Cup level. A win or a 2025 playoff berth might be a tall ask – especially in year one – but either would be the cherry on top for both driver and team.

The Michael McDowell file

Car: No. 71 Chevy

Team: Spire Motorsports

Crew chief: Travis Peterson

Years with current team: 1st

Best points finish: 15 (2023)

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

Born: Dec. 21, 1984

Scouting report

Anonymous takes from drivers, crew chiefs, and assorted industry insiders:

“He’s always on the gas,” one owner says. “Always drives with desperation, like his career depends on it, every lap. He makes mistakes, and they always come up front, and it’s like he’s trying to overcompensate and prove that he belongs.”

One broadcaster wishes McDowell could start his career over: “He came from IndyCar late and then takes 10 years getting good at this. He has grown leaps and bounds. We could be talking about a champion had this guy, with this talent, started in NASCAR from the start.”

His peers love racing with him: “His craft on restarts and being able to move forward is pretty impressive.”

“He’ll take care of you but he runs so hard,” says another. “It’s weird, because you’re running 17th and he’ll let you go, but 19th, and he races the s— out of you.”