| Michael McDowell | |||||||
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&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Michael_McDowell_Driver_Introductions_Las_Vegas_Fall_2024.jpg) McDowell at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024 | |||||||
| Born | Michael Christopher McDowell December 21, 1984 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 | ||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 500 races run over 17 years | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 34 (Front Row Motorsports) | ||||||
| 2023 position | 15th | ||||||
| Best finish | 15th (2023) | ||||||
| First race | 2008 Goody's Cool Orange 500 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| Last race | 2024 Xfinity 500 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| First win | 2021 Daytona 500 (Daytona) | ||||||
| Last win | 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (Indy RC) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
| 94 races run over 9 years | |||||||
| 2016 position | 93rd | ||||||
| Best finish | 13th (2009) | ||||||
| First race | 2007 O'Reilly Challenge (Texas) | ||||||
| Last race | 2016 Road America 180 (Road America) | ||||||
| First win | 2016 Road America 180 (Road America) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career | |||||||
| 2 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| 2009 position | 111th | ||||||
| Best finish | 111th (2009) | ||||||
| First race | 2007 Kroger 200 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| Last race | 2009 Heluva Good! 200 (Loudon) | ||||||
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| ARCA Menards Series career | |||||||
| 28 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (2007) | ||||||
| First race | 2006 Governor's Cup 200 (Milwaukee) | ||||||
| Last race | 2007 Hantz Group 200 (Toledo) | ||||||
| First win | 2007 WLWT Channel 5 150 (Kentucky) | ||||||
| Last win | 2007 Hantz Group 300 (Toledo) | ||||||
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| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 2 races run over 1 year | |||||||
| Best finish | 21st (2005) | ||||||
| First race | 2005 Lexmark Indy 300 (Surfers Paradise) | ||||||
| Last race | 2005 Gran Premio Telmex Tecate (Mexico City) | ||||||
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| Statistics current as of November 5, 2023. | |||||||
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. McDowell plans to leave FRM to join Spire Motorsports in 2025. 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.