NASCAR Cup Series driver Michael McDowell. Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

NASCAR road course ace to pilot No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevy in Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 11:23 AM ET

One of the best road course racers in NASCAR has been tapped to drive the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet at Watkins Glen on Aug. 9.

On Monday, it was reported that Michael McDowell, the 2023 Indianapolis road course winner and 2021 Daytona 500 champion will pilot the No. 11 Kaulig Chevy in the wake of Josh Williams' dismissal from the organization.

Michael McDowell will be in the Kaulig Racing No. 11 Xfinity car at Watkins Glen.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 4, 2025

McDowell, a 40-year-old driver from Phoenix, Ariz., has finished top-10 in two of the last three Cup Series races at Watkins Glen. While he is a veteran of 94 Xfinity Series starts, he hasn't raced in the series since 2016, when he earned his lone Xfinity Series win at Road America.

Over a NASCAR career that spans nearly two decades, McDowell has also made 524 Cup Series starts, four Craftsman Truck Series starts and 28 ARCA Menards Series starts.

McDowell will hop behind the wheel of the No. 11 one week after his Spire Motorsports teammate, Carson Hocevar, drove the car in the Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway. No further replacement drivers for the No. 11 have been announced.

Practice and qualifying for the Mission 200 at the Glen will take place on the morning of Aug. 9, with the green flag flying shortly after 3 p.m. ET. Coverage of the race will be provided by the CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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