On one hand, Michael McDowell didn’t win a race this season, in his first season with Spire Motorsports in order that was a mission unaccomplished however there’s additionally a privilege in that strain that motivates him.
For instance, at 40-years-old, some in NASCAR would begin pondering what comes after driving and that’s very true for a religious household man that has a spouse and 5 youngsters at house.
However no, McDowell just isn’t serious about retirement.
“Properly, do I see that sooner or later,” McDowell mentioned final weekend at Phoenix when requested throughout a media availability. “Not within the close to future.
“For me, I’ve been doing this a very long time however for many who have adopted the game, they know my first 10 years had been a battle the place I used to be not in a aggressive atmosphere or having fun with myself. I used to be simply attempting to remain int the game and keep in a seat lengthy sufficient to get to the place I’m now.”
To his level, when making the swap from the Champ Automobile World Sequence to NASCAR in 2006, it was with groups not able to successful races. For the longest time, his most memorable spotlight was a vicious barrel roll flip at Texas Motor Speedway whereas driving for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2008.
There have been a number of seasons the place he drove start-and-parks or groups within the again half of the storage. It was a grind to get to the purpose the place he joined Entrance Row Motorsports, gained the Daytona 500 in 2020 after which added one other win on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Street Course in 2022.
Now, he’s at Spire Motorsports, one other workforce the place he’s actually anticipated to problem for the occasional victory too.
“I am nonetheless very enthusiastic about displaying as much as the race monitor, realizing we are able to run properly, and problem for wins. For me, that is what motivates me to maintain going. So I do not see (retirement) within the close to future however you understand how this sport is — it is only a matter of time earlier than the following quick man comes to switch me and it is simply when is he prepared and am I nonetheless acting at that time.
“It is a performance-based enterprise and everyone knows that. So, I really feel like I’m performing properly proper now.”
McDowell completed twenty second within the ultimate championship standings but in addition departs into the low season questioning what might have been. He seemingly had the automobile to beat on the Streets of Chicago and was simply driving away from Shane Van Gisbergen till he broke a throttle cable.
He had race successful pace, and top-5s at Mexico Metropolis and Sonoma too, and both of these wins would have modified the dynamic of his season when contemplating an eighth at New Hampshire and a fifth on the Charlotte ROVAL too.
It simply takes being good for McDowell driving for a Hendrick Motorsports satellite tv for pc workforce to take the struggle to the Massive 3 groups of Hendrick, Joe Gibbs Racing and Staff Penske.
“Now we have to outwork them,” McDowell mentioned. “Now we have to be environment friendly and be inventive. This automobile nonetheless supplies me a great platform. You’ve got seen me run up entrance, within the top-5 and top-10, so sure, the massive groups have damaged away from an execution and wins standpoint however I really feel like now we have pace in our vehicles. We simply need to construct chemistry and continuity to do it at a excessive stage and I feel we’re getting there.”
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