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  • Michael McDowell to make 500th Cup start at Martinsville

    Michael McDowell to make 500th Cup start at Martinsville

    With the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season down to its final two races on the schedule, Michael McDowell is primed to achieve a milestone start. By competing in this weekend’s Cup Playoff event at Martinsville Speedway, the driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse will make career start No. 500 in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Glendale, Arizona, McDowell, who grew up competing in BMX bicycles before transcending to go-karts, open wheels and the Grand-Am Series, where he claimed the Star Mazda championship in 2004, made his inaugural presence as a Cup Series competitor at Martinsville Speedway in April 2008. By then, he had made four career starts in the Xfinity Series and one in the Craftsman Truck Series. Driving the No. 00 Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR), McDowell started 34th and finished 26th in his series debut after cutting a tire in the closing laps.

    The following weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, McDowell was involved in a harrowing accident while qualifying for the event, where he slipped sideways after breaking a right-front sway bar and veered head-on into the outside wall in Turn 1 at full speed. The impact was enough for McDowell’s No. 00 Toyota to roll over on its roof, which it briefly slid and spun upside down towards the outside wall before the car tumbled seven times towards the bottom of the track and came to rest right-side up. Following the wild ride, McDowell managed to escape uninjured and he would proceed to finish 33rd in the main event while racing in a backup car.

    Following his first two Cup career starts, McDowell would make 18 additional starts in the No. 00 MWR Toyota over the next 21 races of the 2008 season, which started at Phoenix Raceway in April before concluding at Dover Motor Speedway in September as he was then released by the organization. During the span, McDowell achieved a season-best 20th-place result at Richmond Raceway in September. Combined with his first two starts of the 2008 season, he notched a total of 12 top-30 results and recorded an average-finishing result of 30.2.

    In 2009, McDowell made a total of eight Cup starts, all of which occurred in the closing stretches of the season. Driving the No. 36 Chevrolet Impala for Tommy Baldwin Racing in eight of the remaining 11 events on the schedule, he recorded an average-finishing result of 40.3 and a season-best 38th-place run at Dover in September despite retiring due to braking issues. He then competed in 24 events in 2010 between Prism Motorsports and Whitney Motorsports. After finishing in 14th place during the first of two Daytona Duel events, he qualified for the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February, where he would record a season-best 33rd-place result.

    During the 2011 season, McDowell competed in all but two of the 36-race Cup schedule. Thirty-one of his starts occurred with HP Racing, where he recorded a season-best 30th-place finish at Sonoma Raceway in June. His lone other start occurred in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota entry at Texas in November, where he filled in for veteran Kyle Busch after Busch was suspended for the remainder of the Texas weekend due to intentionally wrecking four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. during the Truck race earlier in the weekend. Despite starting the event in 17th place, McDowell settled in 33rd place, four laps down.

    Over the next two seasons, McDowell primarily competed for Phil Parsons Racing in the Cup Series. During the 2012 season, where he surpassed 100 Cup career starts, he competed in all but three of the 36-race schedule and recorded a season-best 23rd-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. He then notched his first top-10 career result by finishing in ninth place during the 65th running of the Daytona 500 in February 2013 and he would also record a 15th-place run at Talladega Superspeedway in October. Throughout the 2013 season, he also made a single start with Front Row Motorsports at Watkins Glen International in August and with HScott Motorsports at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September.

    From 2014 to 2017, McDowell made a total of 102 Cup starts with Leavine Family Racing, where he spent the latter season as a full-time competitor. Throughout the four-year span, the Arizona native recorded a total of four top-10 results, 10 laps led and his first top-five career result, which occurred at Daytona in July 2017 by finishing fourth. He also finished in the top 20 a total of 28 times and qualified for the Daytona 500 three times. After cracking the top-30 mark in the final standings in 2016, McDowell settled in 26th place in the final standings in 2017. By then, he boosted his average finishing result up to 22.3 and had surpassed 200 Cup career starts.

    The 2018 Cup Series season generated a new beginning for McDowell, who joined forces with Front Row Motorsports to pilot the No. 34 Ford entry as a full-time competitor. Despite recording a ninth-place finish during the 60th running of the Daytona 500, he would tally a total of nine top-20 results for the remainder of the season and tie his previous-best result in the standings in 26th place with an average-finishing result of 24.5. He then commenced the 2019 season by finishing fifth during the 61st running of the Daytona 500 and proceeded to record nine additional top-20 results for the remainder of the season before dropping to 27th place in the final standings and with an average-finishing result of 24.2. By then, he surpassed 300 Cup career starts.

    Then after concluding the 2020 Cup season with a total of four top-10 results and a 23rd-place finish in the final standings, McDowell commenced the 2021 season on a high note by winning the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 after dodging a final lap multi-car accident to escape with the victory with two turns remaining. The victory made McDowell the 40th competitor overall to win the 500 and the eighth to claim a first Cup victory in the Great American Race, with the event marking his 358th career start in NASCAR’s premier series. With the victory, the Arizona native became the 196th competitor overall to win in the Cup Series and he earned a guaranteed spot into the 2021 Cup Series Playoffs as he also delivered the first 500 victory for Front Row Motorsports.

    Following his Daytona 500 victory, McDowell finished in the top eight during his next two Cup starts. He would proceed to finish third at Talladega in April and seventh during the series’ inaugural event at Circuit of the Americas in May for the remainder of the 26-race regular-season stretch before he entered the Playoffs for the first time as a title contender. After finishing no higher than 24th during the Round of 16, however, McDowell’s 2021 title hopes came to an early end as he was one of four Playoff contenders to be eliminated from the title hunt. With four finishes in the top 17 to cap off the season, McDowell settled in 16th place in the final standings. By then, he boosted his average finishing result to 20.5.

    The 2022 Cup Series season generated McDowell’s best result in top 10s, where he tallied a total of 12, including two top-five results as he notched a pair of season-best third-place finishes at Sonoma in June and at Talladega in October. Despite concluding the season winless and missing the Playoffs, McDowell, who settled in 23rd place in the final standings, recorded a career-best average-finishing result of 16.7. By then, he surpassed 400 Cup career starts.

    The following season, McDowell finished in the top 20 six times during the first nine scheduled events. Despite finishing no higher than 22nd during his next five starts, he rallied by finishing in the top 10 four times over his next five. By Michigan International Speedway in August, McDowell was battling for a Playoff spot by points. Then at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in August, he led a race-high 54 of 82-scheduled laps, including the final 30, en route to his second Cup career victory as he also raced his way into the Playoffs for a second time. After capping off the regular-season stretch by finishing as high as 13th over his next two starts, McDowell’s Playoff hopes came to an early end following respective finishes of 32nd, 26th and sixth throughout the Round of 16. Finishing as high as ninth during the final seven events on the schedule, McDowell proceeded to finish a career-best 15th place in the final standings. Despite achieving four fewer top-10 results from his previous season at eight, he led 97 laps throughout the 2023 season and notched an average-finishing result of 19.0.

    This season, which marks his seventh driving on a full-time basis for Front Row Motorsports, McDowell ended up in 36th place during the 66th running of the Daytona 500 despite starting on the front row. He then notched his first Cup career pole position during the following weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he led 27 laps and rallied from being involved in an on-track incident towards the pit road entrance to finish eighth. Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, McDowell recorded a total of four Cup poles, which occurred at Talladega in April, World Wide Technology Raceway in June and at Daytona in August. Amid the qualification success, he notched a strong runner-up result at Sonoma in June, two top-five results and six top-10 results. The results, however, were not enough for him to make the 2024 Cup Playoffs. Nonetheless, he has since achieved two additional poles, the first at Atlanta in September and the other at Talladega in early October, and a seventh-place result, which occurred at Watkins Glen International in September, throughout eight of 10 Playoff events. With a current average-finishing result of 20.7, McDowell is ranked in 22nd place in the driver’s standings. The 2024 Cup Series season is set to mark the Arizona native’s final one with Front Row Motorsports as he is set to join Spire Motorsports in 2025.

    Through 499 previous Cup starts, McDowell has achieved two victories, six poles, 11 top-five results, 44 top-10 results, 534 laps led and an average-finishing result of 26.9.

    Michael McDowell is scheduled to make his 500th Cup Series career start at Martinsville Speedway for the Xfinity 500. The event is scheduled to occur on Sunday, November 3, and air at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Travis Mack to call 100th Cup event as crew chief at Charlotte

    Travis Mack to call 100th Cup event as crew chief at Charlotte

    A significant milestone start is in the making for Travis Mack, crew chief for Daniel Suarez and the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team in the NASCAR Cup Series. By participating in this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Mack will call his 100th career event as crew chief in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Mack’s racing career began as a mechanic for Frank Kimmel’s ARCA Menards Series team before joining Hendrick Motorsports as a shock specialist and front-end mechanic in 2004, where he worked with Jeff Gordon before eventually teaming up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nine years later, he served as a car chief for JR Motorsports’ No. 7 team and driver Regan Smith in the Xfinity Series before moving over to JRM’s No. 9 team and rookie Chase Elliott for the 2014 season, where the team ended up winning the series championship. Beginning in 2015, he became a car chief for Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team in the Cup circuit.

    At Richmond Raceway in September 2017, Mack made his debut as a Cup Series crew chief in an interim role for Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 HMS team after Earnhardt’s regular crew chief, Greg Ives, was suspended due to a lug nut infraction stemming from the previous event at Darlington Raceway. During the event at Richmond and with Mack atop the pit box, Earnhardt Jr. led 13 laps before finishing 13th.

    In 2018, Mack was named crew chief for Leavine Family Racing’s No. 95 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entry piloted by veteran Kasey Kahne. Following the first 15 events of the 2018 season, however, Mack was replaced by Jon Leonard after the team posted five top-20 results and finished no higher than 17th three times. Mack would return to the Xfinity Series to serve as a crew chief for Michael Annett and the No. 5 JRM team for the remainder of the 2018 season.

    In November 2020, Mack, who achieved his first Xfinity victory as a crew chief with Annett at Daytona in February 2019, was named crew chief for the newly formed Trackhouse Racing and driver Daniel Suarez for the 2021 Cup season. Despite being suspended for two of the 26 regular-season events, Mack and Suarez achieved a strong fourth-place run at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Course in March along with a total of three top-10 results and nine top-15 results. While they did not make the 2021 Cup Playoffs, the duo proceeded to finish in the top 15 five times throughout the postseason before concluding the season in 25th place in the final standings.

    Remaining at Trackhouse Racing and paired with Suarez for the 2022 season, Mack led the No. 99 team to two fourth-place results and a total of four top-10 results through the first 15-scheduled events. Then at Sonoma Raceway in June, Mack achieved his first Cup Series career victory as a crew chief when Suarez led a race-high 47 of 110 laps and notched his first career win in NASCAR’s premier series, thus becoming the first Mexican-born competitor to win a Cup event. To go along with five additional top-10 results for the remainder of the regular-season stretch, Mack and Suarez qualified for the 2022 Cup Playoffs. Despite transferring from the Round of 16 to 12 on the strength of three consecutive top-20 results, the duo missed the cutline to the Round of 8 by a mere margin and after a power steering issue at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in October diminished the team’s title hopes. With only a single top-10 result during the final four scheduled events, Mack and Suarez capped off the season in 10th place in the final standings.

    This season, Mack, who remains at Trackhouse for a third consecutive season, has led Suarez and the No. 99 team to four top-10 results through the first 13-scheduled events, with their best on-track result being a fourth-place finish at Auto Club Speedway in February. The duo is ranked in 18th place in the driver’s standings and trail the top-16 cutline to make the 2023 Cup Playoffs by 13 points.

    Through 99 previous Cup events, Mack has achieved one victory, eight top-five results, 21 top-10 results and 395 laps led while working with three different competitors.

    Mack is scheduled to call his 100th Cup Series event as a crew chief in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 28. The event is scheduled to commence at 6 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • Bell to make 100th Cup career start at Kansas

    Bell to make 100th Cup career start at Kansas

    Competing in his third full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Christopher Bell is scheduled to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s Playoff event at Kansas Speedway, the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota TRD Camry will achieve 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Norman, Oklahoma, and a champion of the Camping World Truck Series in 2017, Bell made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series during the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February 2020. By then, he was coming off two full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series that was highlighted with 15 victories and two Championship Round appearances. Driving the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Toyota Camry, Bell finished 21st in his Cup debut after being involved in a late multi-car wreck while running towards the front.

    After finishing no higher than 21st during the first five scheduled events, Bell managed to finish 11th at Darlington Raceway in May before achieving his first top-10 career result in the Cup circuit by finishing ninth in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Despite collecting his first top-five career result at Pocono Raceway in June along with three additional top-10 results throughout the regular season stretch, he struggled with maintaining on-track consistency as he did not make the 2020 Cup Playoffs. During the final 10 scheduled events, he managed to finish 10th at Kansas Speedway and collect a season-best third-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in October before settling in 20th place in the final standings.

    When Leavine Family Racing ceased operations following the 2020 NASCAR season, Bell reunited with Joe Gibbs Racing, the team he competed in two full-time Xfinity seasons, to pilot the No. 20 Toyota Camry, where he replaced Erik Jones. After finishing 16th in the 63rd running of the Daytona 500, Bell scored his first Cup career victory during the following weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course after passing Joey Logano prior to the final lap. The victory made Bell the 197th different competitor to win in NASCAR’s premier series and the 11th to do so for Joe Gibbs Racing as he snapped a one-year winless drought for JGR’s No. 20 team. In the process, Bell became the first Oklahoma competitor to win in the Cup Series.

    Following his breakthrough victory at Daytona, Bell notched three additional top-five results, including two runner-up results (Road America in June and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July), and nine top-10 results before making his first entrance in the Playoffs as one of 16 competitors vying for the 2021 title. Despite finishing 20th, third and 29th respectively in the Round of 16, he was one of 12 competitors to advance to the Round of 12. His title hopes, however, came to an end during the second round after finishing 24th, fifth and eighth respectively. Nonetheless, Bell finished in the top 10 three times during the final four scheduled events before settling in 12th place in the final standings. By then, he nearly quadrupled his top-five results achieved in a season from two to seven, doubled his top-10 results from seven to 16 and improved his average-finishing result from 20.3 to 15.8 in comparison to his rookie Cup season.

    Remaining at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2022, Bell rallied from finishing no higher than 10th through the first five scheduled events by notching nine top-10 results through the following 14 events. By then, he had achieved his first three career poles in the Cup circuit. He then became the 14th different winner of the 2022 Cup Series season after earning his second career victory at New Hampshire in July. The New Hampshire victory along with a total of seven top-five results, 14 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 14.5 throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch were enough for him to make his second consecutive appearance in the Cup Series Playoffs. Coming off a fifth-place run in the Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500, Bell is ranked in fourth place in the Playoff standings and is 28 points above the top-12 cutline to transfer into the Round of 12 field, which will be determined at Bristol Motor Speedway in mid-September.

    Through 99 previous Cup starts, Bell has achieved two victories, three poles, 17 top-five results, 38 top-10 results, 380 laps led and an average-finishing result of 17.0 while he pursues his first Cup Series title.

    Bell is scheduled to make his 100th Cup Series career start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 11, with the event’s coverage scheduled to start at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

  • McDowell to make 400th Cup career start at Richmond

    McDowell to make 400th Cup career start at Richmond

    Competing in his 16th season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Michael McDowell is scheduled to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Richmond Raceway, the driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang will make his 400th career start in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Glendale, Arizona, and a former champion of the Star Mazda Championship region, McDowell had made five career starts between the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series before being announced as a Cup Series competitor and in Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 00 Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing, beginning at Martinsville Speedway in March 2008. McDowell’s promotion to NASCAR’s premier series came after Dale Jarrett, the 1999 Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer, retired from competition while David Reutimann took over Jarrett’s No. 44 Toyota. Starting in 34th place, McDowell finished 26th in his Cup debut after cutting a tire in the closing laps.

    The following weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, McDowell was involved in a horrific accident during his qualifying session, where he got loose entering Turn 1, veered into the outside SAFER barriers head-on at over 180 mph, rolled over on his roof and barrel rolled seven times down to the apron before coming to rest on all four wheels. Despite the wild ride, McDowell was able to emerge uninjured as his wreck exemplified the effectiveness of modern safety enhancements made, from the SAFER barriers to the HANS device and the 2008 Car of Tomorrow stock car, to keep the competitors safe in the event of an on-track incident. McDowell went on to finish 33rd in the main event.

    Following the Texas incident, McDowell continued to drive MWR’s No. 00 Toyota in the Cup Series from Phoenix Raceway in April through Kansas Speedway in September. During this span, his best on-track result was 20th at Richmond Raceway in September. McDowell, however, was released by the team for the rest of the season after he failed to qualify at Kansas Speedway in September.

    The following season, McDowell campaigned on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series, starting with JTG Daugherty Racing before transitioning to MacDonald Motorsports and Whitney Motorsports. His first Cup Series start of the 2009 season did not occur until September at Richmond, where he drove the No. 36 Toyota for Tommy Baldwin Racing to a 41st-place result after retiring early due to an engine issue. He competed in seven additional Cup races with Tommy Baldwin, where he did not finish in all of them and was credited with a result no higher than 38th place.

    McDowell started the 2010 season on a high note by driving the No. 55 Toyota Camry for Prism Motorsports to a 14th-place result in the first of two duel races at Daytona International Speedway in February. The result rewarded him with one of two transfer spots to the 52nd running of the Daytona 500. During the main event, however, he finished 33rd due to a drive shaft issue. He competed in 23 additional events throughout the 36-race schedule, where he failed to finish in all but one race, which was at Talladega Superspeedway in October as he finished 35th, two laps behind the leaders.

    McDowell competed in 32 of the 36-race schedule in 2011 with nearly all of his starts occurring with HP Racing. His best result with HP Racing was a 30th-place result at Sonoma Raceway in June. Then in November at Texas, he served as an interim competitor in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota Camry and in place of Kyle Busch, who was suspended by NASCAR throughout the weekend as a result of intentionally wrecking NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. in the early stages of the Truck Series event at the Lone Star state two days prior to the Cup event. During the event, however, McDowell, who struggled with pace, finished in 33rd place, three laps behind the leaders. He went on to conclude the season in 36th place in the final standings.

    In 2012, McDowell remained with HP Racing that was renamed to Phil Parsons Racing. Driving the team’s No. 98 Ford Fusion in all but six of the 36-race Cup schedule, his best result was a 23rd-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in August as he settled in 37th place in the final standings, one spot lower from 2011. By then, McDowell surpassed 100 career starts in the Cup Series.

    Following the 2013 Cup season, where he competed in all but three races between three organizations (Phil Parsons Racing, Front Row Motorsports and HScott Motorsports) while achieving his first top-10 career finish during the 55th running of the Daytona 500 in February (ninth place), McDowell joined Leavine Family Racing to pilot the No. 95 Chevrolet SS for the 2014 season. He failed to qualify for the 56th running of the Daytona 500, but went on to compete in 19 of the 36-race schedule. His best on-track result during this span was seventh place in the rain-shortened Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in July.

    McDowell continued to drive for Leavine Family Racing in 2015, where he made 16 starts with the team and finished no higher than 20th place at Watkins Glen International in August, and in 2016 when LFR formed an alliance with Circle Sport and changed manufacturers from Ford to Chevrolet. Starting the 2016 Cup season in the No. 59 Chevrolet SS, McDowell finished in 15th place in the 58th running of the Daytona 500. He then split driving responsibilities of the No. 95 LFR Chevrolet with Ty Dillon throughout the season, where he finished 10th at Daytona in July, 12th at Richmond in September and 14th at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. He concluded the season by finishing in 10th place at Homestead-Miami Speedway and a career-best 30th place in the final standings. By then, McDowell surpassed 200 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    The 2017 Cup Series season marked McDowell’s first time competing the entire 36-race schedule as he remained at Leavine Family Racing for a fourth consecutive season. Throughout the season, he earned his first top-five career result after finishing fourth at Daytona in July along with 14 top-20 results before finishing in 26th place in the final standings, which marked his first top-30 result in a driver’s standings.

    In 2018, McDowell moved to Front Row Motorsports to pilot the No. 34 Ford Fusion, where he replaced Landon Cassill. He commenced the season with a ninth-place finish in the 60th running of the Daytona 500 in February. He went on to record nine additional top-20 results, a career-high 33 laps led and a 26th-place result in the final standings for a second consecutive season.

    Returning to Front Row Motorsports for the 2019 season, McDowell started the season by finishing in fifth place in the 61st running of the Daytona 500. This marked his third top-10 result in the 500. He then achieved three additional top-15 results over the next 29 Cup races before he logged in another fifth-place result at Talladega in October. He went on to finish in 27th place in the final standings. Following the 2019 season, McDowell surpassed 300 Cup career starts.

    In 2020, McDowell notched a career-high four top-10 results throughout the 36-race schedule with his best on-track result being a seventh-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. He ended the season improving four spots from his result in the 2019 driver’s standings by settling in 23rd place in the 2020 standings.

    Then in 2021, McDowell, who returned to FRM for a fourth consecutive season, pulled off the upset by claiming his first elusive Cup Series victory in the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 after dodging a multi-car wreck on the final lap while running in third place. The victory snapped McDowell’s 358-race winless drought, which marks the second-largest winless streak in NASCAR history prior to a first victory and right behind Michael Waltrip’s 463-race drought prior to claiming his first win in the 2001 Daytona 500. With the victory, McDowell became the 40th different competitor to win the Daytona 500 and the 196th different competitor to win in the Cup Series as he recorded the first 500 victory for Front Row Motorsports. The 500 win guaranteed McDowell and his No. 34 FRM team a spot into the 2021 Cup Playoffs.

    The early momentum into 2021 for McDowell did not stop there as he finished eighth during the following weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, which was followed by a sixth-place result at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Seven races later, McDowell collected a strong third-place result at Talladega in April following a late battle with eventual winner Brad Keselowski. He went on to collect a seventh-place result at the Circuit of the Americas in May before entering the 2021 Cup Playoffs for the first time in his career. His title hopes, however, came to an end during the Round of 16 after finishing no higher than 24th during the opening round’s three events. Nonetheless, he finished a career-best 16th place in a season where he claimed his first victory, a career-high five top-10 results and a career-best average result of 20.5.

    Through 399 previous Cup starts, McDowell has achieved one victory, five top-five results, 18 top-10 results, 118 laps led and an average-finishing result of 29.0. His highest-finishing result through the first six scheduled events of 2022 is seventh, which occurred in the 64th running of the Daytona 500 in February, and he currently sits in 26th place in the regular season standings.

    McDowell is scheduled to make his 400th Cup Series career start at Richmond Raceway on Sunday, April 3, with coverage to occur at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

  • McDowell to make 350th Cup start at Bristol

    McDowell to make 350th Cup start at Bristol

    A significant milestone is in the making for Michael McDowell, driver of the No. 34 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series. By taking the green flag for this weekend’s Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway, McDowell will reach 350 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Glendale, Arizona, McDowell was in the early stages of his racing career in NASCAR when he was selected as driver of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing at Martinsville Speedway in March 2008. The move came as David Reutimann, who started the season as the No. 00 driver, moved over to drive MWR’s No. 44 UPS Toyota Camry for the remainder of the season when the 1999 Cup champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett retired as a competitor. Starting in 34th place, McDowell finished 26th in his Cup debut after sustaining a flat tire in the closing laps.

    On April 4 at Texas Motor Speedway, McDowell was qualifying for the upcoming Cup weekend race at the Lone Star state when he got loose entering Turn 1. Trying to straighten the car, the car turned back to the right and made heavy head-on contact into the outside SAFER barriers at over 180 mph as the car rolled over. With the car spinning sideways while upside down across the barriers, the car rolled back over and proceeded into a series of barrel rolls down to the apron before coming to rest on all four wheels with fire bursting out at the front. Despite the accident that left the No. 00 Aaron’s Toyota demolished, McDowell was able to escape uninjured and make the mandatory trip to the infield care center. His wreck was a prime example of how the safety enhancements and features made within the sport throughout the modern era, from the SAFER barriers to the HANS device and the Car of Tomorrow, keep the competitors safe in the event of an on-track incident. The cause of the accident was later revealed due to a loose sway bar on McDowell’s car.

    From Phoenix Raceway in April through Dover International Speedway in September, McDowell continued to drive Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 00 Toyota in the Cup Series, where his best result was 20th place at Richmond Raceway in September. After failing to qualify for the following race at Kansas Speedway, McDowell was released from the team.

    Starting the 2009 season as an Xfinity Series competitor for JTG-Daugherty Racing, McDowell did not make a Cup start until September at Richmond. Driving the No. 36 Wave Energy Drink Toyota for Tommy Baldwin Racing, McDowell started and finished 41st in his first Cup start of the season. He competed in seven additional Cup races with Tommy Baldwin, where he finished no higher than 38th.

    McDowell started the 2010 season by driving the No. 55 Toyota Camry for Prism Motorsports. He finished in 14th place in the first of two duel races at Daytona International Speedway in February and earned one of two transfer spots to the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 along with Max Papis. He went on, however, to finish 33rd in the main event due to a drive shaft issue. Throughout the 2010 Cup season, he competed in 24 of the 36-race schedule and he failed to finish in all but one race, which was at Talladega Superspeedway in October as he finished 35th and was two laps behind the leaders.

    Throughout the 2011 Cup season, McDowell competed in 32 of the 36-race schedule, 31 with HP Racing. His best result with the team was 30th place at Sonoma Raceway in June. In November at Texas Motor Speedway, he drove the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in place of the suspended Kyle Busch, who was parked by NASCAR throughout the weekend as a result of intentionally wrecking NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. in the Truck Series race at Texas at the start of the weekend. McDowell finished in 33rd place, three laps behind the leaders, in his lone Cup start with JGR.

    In 2012, McDowell remained with HP Racing, which was renamed to Phil Parsons Racing. Competing in 30 of the 36-race Cup schedule and in the No. 98 K-Love Radio Ford Fusion, his best result was 23rd at Bristol Motor Speedway in August while he sustained 25 DNFs. Prior to the conclusion of the 2012 season, McDowell reached 100 career starts in the Cup Series.

    Following the 2013 Cup season, where he competed in all but three races while achieving his first top-10 career finish in the Daytona 500 in February (ninth place), McDowell was named driver of the No. 95 Ford Fusion for Leavine Family Racing for the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series season. He failed to qualify for the Daytona 500, but went on to compete in 19 of the 36-race schedule. His best result was seventh place in the rain-shortened Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway in July.

    McDowell continued to drive for Leavine Family Racing in 2015, where he made 16 starts with the team and finished no higher than 20th place at Watkins Glen International in August, and in 2016 when LFR formed an alliance with Circle Sport and changed manufacturers from Ford to Chevrolet. Starting the 2016 Cup season in the No. 59 Thrivent Financial/K-LOVE Chevrolet SS, McDowell finished in 15th place in the 58th running of the Daytona 500. He then split driving responsibilities of the No. 95 LFR Chevrolet with Ty Dillon throughout the season, where he finished 10th at Daytona in July, 12th at Richmond in September and 14th at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. He concluded the season by finishing in 10th place at Homestead-Miami Speedway and a career-best 30th place in the final standings. By the time the 2016 season concluded, McDowell had surpassed 200 career starts in the Cup Series.

    Following the 2017 Cup season, where he competed the entire 36-race Cup schedule with Leavine Family Racing, achieved a career-best fourth-place finish at Daytona in July and finished a career-best 26th place in the final standings, McDowell moved to Front Row Motorsports to pilot the No. 34 Ford in 2018. He started the season by finishing in ninth place in the 60th running of the Daytona 500 in February. For the remainder of the season, he achieved nine additional top-20 results, led a career-high 33 laps in total and he concluded the season in 26th place in the final standings.

    Remaining with Front Row Motorsports for the 2019 season while paired with former Daytona 500-winning crew chief Drew Blickensderfer, McDowell started the season on a high note by finishing in fifth place in the 61st running of the Daytona 500. He achieved three additional top-15 results over the next 29 Cup races before he logged in another fifth-place result at Talladega in October. He went on to conclude the season in 27th place in the final standings. Following the 2019 season, McDowell surpassed 300 Cup career starts.

    This season, which marks his third with FRM, McDowell has achieved three top-10 results and nine top-15 results through 28 Cup races. He is ranked in 22nd place in the standings, he holds a career-best average result of 19.9 and is coming off a 25th-place result at Richmond while he also continues to pursue his first elusive victory in NASCAR’s premier series.

    Catch McDowell’s milestone start at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Saturday, September 19. The race will air at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Ty Dillon to surpass 150 Cup starts at Dover

    Ty Dillon to surpass 150 Cup starts at Dover

    A unique milestone is in the making for Ty Dillon entering this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader races at Dover International Speedway on August 22 and 23. By the time Dillon completes both Cup races at Dover, he will reach and surpass 150 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native of Lewisville, North Carolina, the grandson of championship team owner Richard Childress and the younger brother of the 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon was already a rising star in NASCAR, having won the 2011 ARCA championship, three Truck Series career races, the 2012 Truck Rookie-of-the-Year title and his first Xfinity Series career victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he made his Cup debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway in August 2014. Driving the No. 33 Realtree/Rheem Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing and led by the late Nick Harrison, Dillon started 29th and finished 25th in his series debut. He competed in one additional Cup race at Phoenix in November, where he finished 27th, before he went on to conclude his first full-time stint in the Xfinity Series in fifth place in the final standings.

    The following season, Dillon qualified for his first Daytona 500 start in February after finishing 16th in the first Duel qualifying race at Daytona and earning a final transfer spot to the main event. Starting 31st, Dillon finished 28th in his first 500 attempt. He competed in four additional Cup races throughout the 2015 season while he competed on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series for RCR. His best result during his four-race Cup span was a 14th-place result at Michigan International Speedway in June. He went on to conclude the 2015 Xfinity Series season in a career-best third place in the final standings.

    In 2016, Dillon returned as a full-time Xfinity Series for RCR and a part-time Cup Series competitor for two organizations. His first start of the season was the Daytona 500, where he finished 25th while driving the No. 95 Cheerios/Kroger Chevrolet for Leavine Family Racing. The following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Dillon served as an interim competitor for three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, who was recovering from injuries from a dune buggy accident in January and was able to compete in the opening races of the 2016 season. Driving the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing in three races, Dillon recorded finishes of 17th, 15th and 25th at Atlanta, Phoenix and at Bristol. He also relieved for Stewart for the remainder of the Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway in May, where he finished sixth despite the points being awarded to Stewart since Stewart started the race. He also made six additional starts in Leavine Family Racing’s No. 95 Chevrolet. His best results were 20th-place at Texas in April and 21st at Pocono in June.

    Following three full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series, Dillon was promoted to the Cup Series in 2017 and as driver of the No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet for Germain Racing led by crew chief Robert “Bootie” Barker. In Dillon’s first full-time season in the Cup Series as a rookie candidate, he recorded eight top-15 results, 40 laps led and an average result of 20.7 as he concluded the season in 24th place in the final standings, third place in the rookie standings behind Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez. His best results throughout the season were a pair of 11th-place results at Talladega in October and at Phoenix in November.

    In 2018, Dillon remained with Germain Racing and was paired with veteran crew chief Matt Borland. In July at Daytona International Speedway, Dillon achieved his first top-10 career result in the Cup Series after finishing in sixth place. Throughout his sophomore season in the Cup circuit, Dillon recorded four additional top-15 results. When the season concluded, his average result was 24.1 and he concluded the season in 27th place in the final standings.

    Dillon started the 2019 Cup season by finishing in sixth place in the Daytona 500 in February. After finishing no higher than 15th over the next six races, he finished 15th at Bristol in April after winning the first stage in a photo finish over Clint Bowyer. Two races later, at Talladega in April 2019, Dillon made his 100th Cup career start. During the main event, he won the first stage and finished in 17th place. In July at Daytona International Speedway, he achieved his first top-five career finish (fourth place) in a rain-shortened event. For the remainder of the season, Dillon achieved one additional top-10 result and four additional top-15 results before he concluded the season in 24th place in the final standings. He earned an average result of 20.6 and led 14 laps throughout his junior season in the Cup Series.

    This season, through the first 23 Cup races, Dillon has achieved one top-10 result, five top-15 results and an average result of 22.3. He is in 27th place in the regular-season standings and is 235 points below the top-16 cutline to make this year’s Cup Playoffs with three regular-season races remaining.

    Catch Dillon’s milestone start at Dover International Speedway on August 22 at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Bell to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2021 Cup season

    Bell to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2021 Cup season

    Christopher Bell has a place to call home for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. That place is Joe Gibbs Racing after the organization named Bell as driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry and as part of the team’s four-car stable alongside Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr.

    Bell, a native from Norman, Oklahoma, is currently competing in his first full-time season in the Cup Series as a rookie candidate and in the No. 95 Toyota Camry for Leavine Family Racing. Bell’s move to JGR comes four days after Erik Jones, who is currently in his third season driving the No. 20 Toyota, announced that he will not be returning to the organization for next season. The move also came six days after Bob Leavine, owner of Leavine Family Racing, announced that he has sold his team and that the organization will be ceasing all operations following the 2020 Cup season.

    The move to Joe Gibbs Racing is also a reunion for Bell, who first drove for the team as a part-time competitor in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season before racing full time in 2018. From 2017 to 2019, Bell won 16 Xfinity races and made it all the way to the Championship Round in 2018 and 2019, with a best points result of third place in 2019. In addition, Bell will become the fifth competitor to pilot the iconic No. 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing since its inception in 1999.

    “I’m so appreciative of the opportunity I have this year with LFR and I want to finish this season strong for Bob [Leavine] and everyone there,” Bell said. “At the same time, I’m extremely excited to return to Joe Gibbs Racing starting in 2021. It’s an organization I’m very comfortable with and have had a lot of success with.”

    “We are excited to bring Christopher into our Cup Series program starting in 2021,” Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, added. “He obviously had tremendous success in the Xfinity Series with us and we look forward to his return to JGR.”

    Additional announcements regarding Bell’s crew chief and sponsors for next season will be announced at a later date.

    Through the first 22 races of this year’s Cup season, Bell has notched one top-five result and five top-10 results. He is ranked 19th in the regular-season standings and is 122 points below the top-16 cutline to make the 2020 Cup Playoffs with four regular-season races remaining.

    The NASCAR Cup Series will return to action on Sunday, August 16, for the inaugural race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Bell to reach 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

    Bell to reach 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

    A significant milestone is in the making for Christopher Bell as the NASCAR Cup Series enters its upcoming doubleheader feature at Michigan International Speedway. By the time the Cup Series completes its two races at Michigan on back-to-back dates, Bell will achieve 150 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Norman, Oklahoma, who started his racing career on dirt and won the 2013 USAC National Midget Series title, Bell made his debut within NASCAR’s three major division series at Iowa Speedway in June 2015, driving the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Finishing in fifth place in his Truck debut, Bell returned for the upcoming races at Kentucky Speedway and at Eldora Speedway in KBM’s No. 54 Toyota Tundra. After finishing 17th at Kentucky, Bell achieved his first NASCAR Truck career win at Eldora after leading a race-high 106 of 154 laps and prevailing over a late battle with Bobby Pierce. He made four more Truck starts for the remainder of the 2015 season, notching one top-10 result at Texas Motor Speedway in November.

    The following season, Bell was promoted as driver of the No. 4 JBL Toyota Tundra for KBM led by Jerry Baxter for the 2016 Truck Series season. In his first race in the No. 4 truck at Daytona International Speedway in February, Bell was involved in two separate incidents. He rallied from his incidents and was in position of recording a strong result until he was involved in a frightening accident on the final lap, where he barrel rolled nearly a dozen times past the start/finish line before coming to rest on all four wheels. He survived the incident and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. The following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bell was leading in the closing laps until he blew a right-front tire and smacked the outside wall in Turn 4 at full speed. Despite the accident, Bell emerged uninjured. It took until June, nine races into the season, for Bell to achieve his second Truck Series career win, first on a paved track, at Gateway. In addition to winning at Gateway, Bell racked up nine top-five results, 17 top-10 results, 197 laps led and an average result of 9.5. He qualified for the postseason and made it all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he settled in third place in the final standings.

    In 2017, Bell remained with KBM but was paired with Ryan “Rudy” Fugle. Following an eighth-place finish at Daytona, Bell recorded his first victory of the season at Atlanta. Through 22 of 23 Truck races, Bell achieved five victories, five poles, 14 top-five results and 20 top-10 results. The results allowed Bell to make the postseason and all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead. At Homestead, Bell finished in the runner-up spot and clinched his first NASCAR Truck Series championship over Johnny Sauter, Austin Cindric and Matt Crafton. In addition to recording his first NASCAR title, he also recorded the second championship for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Throughout the 2017 season, Bell also made his eight NASCAR Xfinity Series career starts between the No. 18 and No. 20 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. During the eight races, he recorded his first Xfinity career win at Kansas Speedway in October following a late dust-up with teammate Erik Jones. He also achieved three top-five results and five top-10 results.

    The following season, Bell graduated to a full-time driving role in the Xfinity Series and in the No. 20 Rheem/GameStop Toyota for JGR led by crew chief Jason Ratcliff. Following the first seven races of the season, Bell recorded his first win of the season at Richmond in April following a late battle with Noah Gragson. In July, Bell made history as he notched three consecutive Xfinity wins at Kentucky Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and at Iowa Speedway. Thus, he became the first Xfinity competitor to win three consecutive races in a season since Dale Earnhardt Jr. made the last accomplishment in 1999. Qualifying for the Playoffs on the strength of his victories and consistent runs throughout the regular season, Bell achieved wins at Richmond Raceway, Dover International Speedway and at Phoenix Raceway to make the Championship Round at Homestead with an opportunity of winning his first Xfinity championship. For the finale, however, Bell suffered a flat right-rear tire in the final laps and finished 11th, thus finishing in fourth place in the final standings and missing the Rookie-of-the-Year title to the eventual champion Tyler Reddick. Nonetheless, Bell concluded the season on a positive note with seven wins, five poles, 18 top-five results, 20 top-10 results, 759 laps led and an average result of 11.1.

    Bell remained in the Xfinity Series with JGR for the 2019 season. At Auto Club Speedway in March, Bell reached 100 starts between the Xfinity and Truck Series. Throughout the season, Bell was dominant as he earned victories at Atlanta, Bristol, Dover, Iowa, New Hampshire, Road America, Richmond and Texas, all while making the Playoffs and earning a spot for the Championship Round at Homestead. Though he came into the finale with momentum, he finished fifth at Homestead and concluded the season in third place in the final standings. Despite the result of not achieving his first Xfinity title, Bell recorded career-high stats that included eight wins, six poles, 20 top-five results, 21 top-10 results, 2,005 laps led and an average result of 9.1.

    This season started off on a fresh note for Bell, who graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series to drive the No. 95 Toyota Camry for Leavine Family Racing led by Ratcliff. Through last weekend’s Cup race at New Hampshire, the first 20 races of his Cup career, Bell has achieved one top-five result, five top-10 results, four laps led and an average result of 20.4. He is currently ranked in 23rd in the regular-season standings and is 129 points below the top-16 cutline with six regular-season races remaining until the 2020 Cup Playoffs field is determined.

    All told, Bell has recorded 23 wins, 18 poles, 68 top-five results, 92 top-10 results and over 4,100 laps led in his previous 148 starts between NASCAR’s three major division series.

    Catch Bell’s milestone start at Michigan on August 9, which will occur at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • LFR welcomes Bell, prepares for second year with TRD

    LFR welcomes Bell, prepares for second year with TRD

    From their first steps as a part-time team in 2011 to finishing in the top-25 in points and three top-fives in 2019, Leavine Family Racing (LFR) is looking to capitalize in 2020 as the young team continues their partnership with Toyota Racing Development (TRD) and brings in an Xfinity Series great to the stable.

    In 2019, the No. 95 car led nearly a fourth of the Great American Race and produced an eighth-place finish during the July Coke Zero Sugar 400. And though it was rained out, Leavine states that Procore Toyota was one of the better cars left.

    “I wanted to finish the race; I was not satisfied with an eighth-place finish,” says team owner Bob Leavine.

    Looking to unload a strong car in Daytona for rookie Christopher Bell, who comes from Joe Gibbs Racing’s (JGR) Xfinity Series, Leavine calls the 25-year-old focused and very intense with a sense of urgency.

    “He’s adapted at every level he’s come up through. Sure, there will be adjustments,” said Leavine. “He drives his heart out. From my standpoint, what more can I ask for?”

    LFR announced in September 2019 that the Oklahoma-native prodigy would be behind the wheel of the No. 95 Toyota Camry in 2020. Bell, a 2017 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champion, has 16 career wins in the Xfinity Series with seven Truck Series wins. Bell moves with experienced crew chief Jason Ratcliff atop the pit box. Ratcliff has a combined total of eight years working on Sunday with multiple drivers including Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano.

    Upon in-house conversation regarding maintaining continuity with Bell, Leavine says, it was decided to move Mike Wheeler as crew chief to the position of competition director, allowing Ratcliff to step up to the Cup Series once more with Bell.

    “There’s always a comfort level when a driver is able to maintain his crew chief; it’s just familiarity,” Leavine said. “It’s difficult switching to somebody you don’t know. Wheels is a great engineer and we wanted to have additional engineering support, so we talked to Jason about it, how he felt about it. Wheels and Jason did a lot of visiting and in fact, the TRD people thought “man if you can pull that off, that’s kind of a dream team.’”

    While starting with LFR during the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series will be a first for Bell, the season will mark LFR’s second season with TRD, who provides enginers and technology, data and technical assistance to the team.

    “We were just one of a dozen or 15 cars when we were with Ford and with Chevrolet, and we saw absolutely no growth there because the big Chevy teams and the big Ford teams get all the support and then it’s a trickle-down effect to those teams that are in alliances,” Leavine added, calling their TRD support a relationship.

    In a 2019 NASCAR press release when Bell’s upcoming tenure with LFR was announced, TRD president David Wilson made his support for both Bell and LFR clean.

    “TRD and Toyota have worked with Bell since his early dirt track career and we’ve been proud to see him work his way to NASCAR’s highest level,” Wilson stated. “Christopher is a special talent and we’re happy to have him winning races and championships in a Toyota. We look forward to seeing his continued growth and success at LFR in 2020. We’re also pleased with how the relationship between JGR and LFR has progressed during their first season working together. We’re confident this enhanced alliance for 2020 will continue to make them a threat for race wins week in and week out.”

    2020 marks LFR’s fifth full-time season and hopes to secure their first win with Bell after coming close following a second-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in August 2019 with Matt DiBenedetto. Bell will make his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series with the orange and black Procore colors during the 62nd running of the Daytona 500. Tune in to FOX at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 16, to catch the action.

  • Should NASCAR drivers be allowed to compete in other forms of motorsport?

    Should NASCAR drivers be allowed to compete in other forms of motorsport?

    NASCAR Cup Series stars Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell have been spending a busy offseason in New Zealand competing in the United Truck Parts International Midget Series. Despite going in aiming for success, however, both American drivers have seen their efforts end early. On the opening night of the event, Larson violently rolled his midget and was carried away on a stretcher. On Boxing Day, Bell suffered a similar fate but was able to walk away unhurt.

    Despite walking away unharmed, however, Bell’s management team informed him not to compete in the remaining events, despite having won the event a year ago. The decision looks to be based on circumstance, according to Bell’s midget team owner Brian Theobald per Velocity News, as Bell and the team are looking at future opportunities to race again in New Zealand.

    It’s easy to understand the decision to bring Bell back to the US following such an incident. Not only does he have a fourth Chili Bowl title to chase in just a few weeks time, but he also happens to be at the front of a promising class of NASCAR Cup rookies for the 2020 season. There’s a lot riding on Bell in terms of investments, and on the business side of things it makes sense to protect that investment.

    But like Larson, Bell is from a dirt discipline, and made his bones slinging Sprint Cars at I-44 Speedway in Oklahoma. Both Larson and Bell are rarely far from a dirt track or the Sprint Car business, as both identify dirt racing as a way of life. Larson has made it clear that being able to race on dirt when he can will play a key role in contract negotiations when his contract is up.

    That puts owners into the position of having to jostle a happy driver and a safe driver. Some team owners, such as Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing, understand how important it is to let their drivers race as much as possible wherever they can; Stewart is spending most of his racing time behind the wheel of a Sprint Car, which is where he also spent a lot of time during his driving career when he wasn’t in a stock car. Not to mention, Kurt Busch was also an SHR driver when he attempted the Memorial Day double in 2014, when he raced in the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600.

    What about Matt Crafton? The 2019 Gander Outdoor Truck Series champion went from testing modifieds in order to better himself at dirt racing since Eldora’s inclusion on the Truck Series tour, to regularly competing in his No. 88 open-wheel modified painted up to look like his ThorSport Racing F-150. He’s won at Eldora since (2017), and is a regular contender on the dirt.

    Matt Crafton’s open-wheel modified. Photo by Tim Jarrold

    But it all goes back to the investments that the backing organizations make and the management teams make. Many team owners aren’t keen on letting their drivers race elsewhere for fear of that driver getting hurt. It’s a reasonable affair, as that driver is supposed to be piloting their car for their team. It’s doubtful Bob Leavine would want to see Bell harmed in a crash before he took to Daytona’s high banks in his flagship No. 95 Toyota.

    But racing is a dangerous sport. This goes without saying. Despite the major advances in safety over the last 60, 70 years, drivers still get hurt, and in many tragic instances, they are killed. Saying that a driver can race in discipline A but not discipline B is neglecting the fact that anything can happen at any moment, anywhere. Just because the 2010s’ didn’t see a single driver perish in NASCAR’s top touring divisions does not mean it couldn’t happen again in 2020.

    So where is the line drawn? Where does a driver’s team and investors relax the reigns a bit and let them tear up a track elsewhere? Where do they tighten their reigns and tell their drivers “No more?” Does driver quality play a factor? Larson was able to convince Ganassi to turn him loose on dirt, and considering Larson is Ganassi’s best NASCAR driver since Sterling Marlin in the early 00s’, did Ganassi want to risk hindering his star driver’s on-track product? More importantly, what does it matter? Ganassi also owns an IndyCar team and an IMSA team. How is the risk any different across the disciplines?

    Racers that are true at heart will race anything, anytime, anywhere, because they are at their happiest and best when they are behind the wheel. It doesn’t matter if it’s IndyCar, NASCAR, World of Outlaws, Formula One (See: Fernando Alonso’s foray from F1 into the Indianapolis 500), or even NHRA (See: NASCAR’s John Andretti and Kurt Busch). A happy driver translates into better results in some cases.

    However, in others cases it’s a matter of getting too distracted (See: Kyle Busch’s 2012 results the same year he ventured into Nationwide Series ownership). It’s all a matter of balance, and while some drivers may prefer focusing on just one venue of racing, other drivers would rather be racing when they aren’t racing. That’s not to say there shouldn’t be limits, but drivers should be allowed a degree of freedom to race in other disciplines of motorsport. In the end, it’s all about the variables at play and what the team and investors are willing to concede.