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Michael McDowell will race at his home track for the first time with Spire Motorsports on Sunday (March 9). However, he isn’t off to a great start, and just recently, Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports revealed why.
McDowell’s No. 71 car failed tech inspection at Phoenix not once, but twice, whereas all the other Cup cars passed the inspection. As a result, McDowell’s car chief will sit out through the weekend and his team will not be allowed to select their pit stall.
Pockrass reported the matter on X, saying,
“All Cup cars through tech. Appears only two-time failure was McDowell car. Lost car chief for rest of weekend and will lose out selection. Passed on third time through.”
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McDowell hasn’t been able to deliver a top five or even a top-10 in his last three starts. So, not being able to select his pit stall and losing his car chief for the weekend is indeed a big blow for the driver and his team.
2025 marks McDowell’s inaugural season with Spire following a six-year stint with Front Row Motorsports. Placed eighth on points, the Glendale, Arizona native is currently eyeing his first win with his new team and third overall.
McDowell delivered a P11 finish in his most recent outing at COTA, bagging 34 playoff points on the way. McDowell has made the postseason twice in the past; thanks to his wins at Daytona in 2021 and the Indianapolis road course in 2023. He also has a win in the Xfinity Series that came way back in 2016 at Road America.
Michael McDowell opens up on retirement from NASCAR
Jeff Gluck of The Athletic started his famous 12 Questions podcast back in 2010 and notably, Michael McDowell was his first ever to be interviewed. Back then, Gluck had asked McDowell about how long the latter saw himself driving in NASCAR’s premier series. McDowell told Gluck that every year, he just hopes to make it one more season.
Fast forward to March 2025, Gluck asked McDowell the exact same question. But this time, McDowell’s answer was different.
“I don’t know how long that road is. I feel like right now I’m at my prime, my peak. I’m running really well, so I want to keep doing it at a high level. As long as I feel like I’m performing at a high level and getting the most out of the race cars and I’m not holding the team back.”
McDowell is aware that NASCAR is a performance-driven sport. Winning is all that matters and that goes for every driver on the field, regardless of their previous accolades.
“You go out there and you flop around for the next nine months and you’re gonna be out of a job and we all know that,” McDowell explained. “But more than anything, I’m at a place now where I just want to do it well. And when I don’t, that will be the time to say, ‘There’s somebody younger and there’s somebody faster and there’s somebody more dedicated and better at it'.”
Michael McDowell is currently under a multi-year deal, so he’s going to be around for now. Next up for the 40-year-old speedster is the Shriners Children’s 500, scheduled for March 9 at Phoenix Raceway. Fans can watch the race on Fox Sports 1 or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio from 3:30 pm ET onwards.
