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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.

  • Ryan Truex to make 100th Xfinity start at Bristol

    Ryan Truex to make 100th Xfinity start at Bristol

    Ryan Truex is set to achieve a milestone start in his ninth season with at least one start in the NACAR Xfinity Series division. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Bristol Motor Speedway, the part-time competitor for Joe Gibbs Racing will make his 100th career start in the Xfinity circuit.

    A native of Mayetta, New Jersey, Truex made his inaugural presence in the Xfinity Series at World Wide Technology Raceway in July 2010. By then, he had achieved the 2009 ARCA Menards Series East championship and was still contending in the series full-time to defend his title. Driving the No. 00 Toyota Camry for Diamond Waltrip Racing, Truex started 19th and finished 28th in his Xfinity debut after being involved in a single-car incident with nearly 20 laps remaining.

    Following his Xfinity debut, Truex would make six additional starts in the Xfinity circuit throughout the remaining 16 events on the schedule. During the schedule, he split driving duties between Diamond-Waltrip Racing’s Nos. 00 and 99 Toyota entries. Within the six-race stretch, Truex notched a season-best 12th-place finish at Michigan International Speedway in August. He also recorded two 15th-place results at Kansas Speedway and at Gateway in October.

    The following season, Truex, who had claimed his second consecutive ARCA East title in 2010 and was initially attempting to campaign for the 2011 Xfinity Rookie-of-the-Year title with Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, ended up competing in 10 of the 14-scheduled events with the team, where he piloted the No. 99 entry to eight top-20 results, including an eighth-place run at Richmond Raceway in late April. Then after finishing 20th at Chicagoland Speedway in June, he was released by Pastrana-Waltrip Racing due to a lack of sponsorship.

    Three months later, he returned at Atlanta Motor Speedway behind the wheel of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota Camry, where he finished 11th before notching a strong fourth-place result at Richmond during the following event. He would proceed to finish 13th, eighth and 10th, respectively, during his next three starts with the Gibbs organization before making a brief return to Diamond-Waltrip Racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October, where he ended up in 34th place after being involved in an accident during the second half of the event. Truex’s 17th and final Xfinity start of the season occurred at Phoenix Raceway in November with Joe Gibbs Racing, where he ended up in eighth place. In total, Truex notched a total of five top-10 results throughout his 17-race schedule.

    The 2012 Xfinity season was an eventful one for Truex, who made a total of 11 Xfinity starts in five entries between three organizations. He commenced the season by making his first series start at Daytona International Speedway with Tommy Baldwin Racing in February, where he ended up in 31st place after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. He then finished in the top 11 in two starts with Joe Gibbs Racing and ended up in 32nd place with RAB Racing at Texas Motor Speedway in April during his next three series starts.

    Then at Dover Motor Speedway in June, Truex, who started on the pole for the first time in his career and had led 43 of 200 laps, was within striking distance of achieving his first Xfinity career victory. However, he was pinned behind the lapped competitors of Jamie Dick and Brad Teague, allowing teammate Joey Logano to quickly narrow the deficit and overtake Truex with five laps remaining, thus resulting in the latter settling in a career-best runner-up result. Making six additional starts in the remaining 19 events on the schedule between Joe Gibbs Racing and RAB Racing, Truex racked up two additional top-10 results before the season’s conclusion.

    After qualifying the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford Mustang entry for Marcos Ambrose at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August 2013 while being a development competitor for the Petty organization, Truex, who did not compete in a single Xfinity event during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, returned to the Xfinity circuit for four events in 2015. Driving the No. 98 Ford Mustang for Biagi-DenBeste Racing, he managed to secure a season-best 17th-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October.

    In 2018, Truex inked a full-time ride in the Xfinity circuit for the first time in his career as he joined forces to pilot Kaulig Racing’s No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro entry. He commenced the season by finishing seventh at Daytona after contending for the victory amid five overtime shootouts before finishing in the top 15 during his next seven starts. Despite ending up in 38th place at Talladega in May after being involved in an early multi-car wreck, the New Jersey native proceeded to finish in the top 10 during his next 10 events before notching his first top-five result of the season at Mid-Ohio in August.

    Despite finishing no higher than eighth during the final four regular-season events on the schedule, he managed to secure a spot in the 2018 Xfinity Series Playoffs. After finishing 11th, 16th and 10th, respectively, throughout the Round of 12, he was eliminated from title contention. Managing three top-15 runs during the final four events on the schedule, Truex settled in 12th place in the final driver’s standings. Overall, he racked up a total of 11 top-10 results, 26 top-15 results and an average-finishing result of 14.0 in his first full-time campaign in the Xfinity Series.

    After losing his Kaulig Racing ride to Justin Haley following the 2018 season, Truex inked a part-time Xfinity campaign with JR Motorsports for the 2019 season. He commenced his part-time campaign on a strong note by finishing in the runner-up spot for the second time in his career at Phoenix Raceway in March behind Kyle Busch. He proceeded to finish eighth at Kentucky Speedway and seventh at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July before settling in 14th at Las Vegas in September and 10th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in October. He then ended up in 38th place in his sixth and final Xfinity start of the season at Kansas Speedway in October following an early retirement due to an engine issue.

    Three years later, Truex returned to the Xfinity Series for another part-time campaign, this time for the season opener at Daytona with Sam Hunt Racing before returning to Joe Gibbs Racing for a five-race campaign in the No. 18 Toyota Supra. He commenced the season by finishing 12th at Daytona with SHR before ending up in 30th place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after being involved in a late accident during his first start of the season with Gibbs. He would then proceed to finish seventh at Martinsville Speedway in April, 30th at Darlington Raceway in May and sixth at Texas Motor Speedway in June before capping off the season with a strong third-place run at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July.

    This past season, Truex achieved a breakthrough moment in his eventful career that started when he returned for a six-race campaign with Joe Gibbs Racing and in the team’s No. 19 Toyota Supra entry. He commenced his part-time campaign by finishing in the runner-up spot for the third time in his career at Phoenix in March before notching a third-place result at Atlanta the following weekend after avoiding a final lap accident.

    Then after finishing within the top 20 during his next two starts at Martinsville and Talladega, Truex achieved his first elusive career victory both in the Xfinity Series and across NASCAR’s top three national touring series at Dover in April. The victory occurred in an event where he led a race-high 124 of 200 laps, swept both stages and beat runner-up Josh Berry by more than four seconds. He also got to cherish the victory with his older brother and former Cup Series champion, Martin Truex Jr. Ryan Truex would then end up in 35th place in his sixth and final Xfinity start of the season at Darlington after being swept up in an early multi-car wreck.

    Returning for a third consecutive part-time Xfinity campaign with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024, both in the organization’s Nos. 19 and 20 Toyota Supra entries, Truex commenced the season by finishing 21st at Daytona after getting collected in a final lap incident. He would proceed to finish ninth during the following weekend at Atlanta before finishing seventh and 34th, respectively, during his next two starts in April. 

    Then in the series’ return at Dover in late April, Truex persevered through two overtime attempts, including the last one as he muscled away from newcomer Carson Kvapil, to snatch his second Xfinity career win and his second in a row at the Monster Mile, this time while driving the No. 20 Toyota entry. Despite finishing no higher than 19th during his next two starts, the New Jersey native then elevated his racing status to a new height by scoring his third series victory at Daytona after fending off the field during an overtime attempt and claiming the checkered flag under caution. As a result, he notched the first Xfinity victory for both Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota at Daytona since Matt Kenseth made the last accomplishment in July 2013. During Truex’s recent Xfinity start at Atlanta, he finished 10th.

    Truex’s upcoming Xfinity Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway is set to mark his 10th start of the 2024 season and eighth in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing entry, which is set to contend for this year’s Xfinity owners’ championship on the strength of seven victories, two of which were made by Truex, and 17 top-10 results through 25 events. Meanwhile, Truex’s plans for the 2025 season remain to be determined despite his continuous goal to return to full-time NASCAR competition and contend for more victories and a championship.

    Through 99 career starts in the Xfinity Series, Truex has achieved three victories, one pole, 10 top-five results, 35 top-10 results, 222 laps led and an average-finishing result of 15.6.

    Ryan Truex is scheduled to make his 100th Xfinity Series career start at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 300. The event is scheduled to occur this upcoming Friday, September 20, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network.

  • Bowman to make 300th Cup career start at Dover

    Bowman to make 300th Cup career start at Dover

    In his ninth full-time season as a NASCAR Cup Series competitor, Alex Bowman is primed to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this upcoming weekend’s Cup event at Dover Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will reach career start No. 300 in NASCAR’s premier series. 

    A native of Tucson, Arizona, Bowman made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series at the start of the 2014 season. By then, he was coming off his full-time season in the Xfinity Series with RAB Racing and had conducted a Preseason Thunder test with BK Racing at Daytona International Speedway in January, which was enough for him to earn a full-time ride in BKR’s No. 23 Toyota Camry entry. Starting 29th for the 56th running of the Daytona 500 after earning a transfer spot for the main event, Bowman finished 23rd in his Cup debut. He would proceed to earn a season-best 13th-place result at Daytona in July, 11 top-30 results and an average-finishing result of 32.6 throughout the 36-race schedule before ending up in 35th place in the final driver’s standings and in sixth place for the Rookie-of-the-Year battle.  

    In 2015, Bowman joined forces with Tommy Baldwin Racing to pilot the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet SS. After not qualifying for the 57th running of the Daytona 500 due to being involved in a multi-car wreck during the second Daytona Duel event and not securing a transfer spot for the main event, he finished 23rd in his first start of the season during the schedule’s following event at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He would proceed to notch a season-best 16th-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway in May, a total of 13 top-30 results and an average-finishing result of 31.6 before settling in 33rd place in the final standings. 

    At the start of the 2016 season, Bowman lost his Cup Series ride at Tommy Baldwin Racing to Regan Smith. Then, after making five starts with JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, he returned to the Cup circuit in July as an interim competitor for the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS piloted by two-time Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was absent after suffering concussion-like symptoms.

    In his first event in HMS’ No. 88 Chevrolet at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Bowman spent the majority of the event running in the top 10 until a cut left-rear tire with 29 laps remaining sent the Arizona native into the outside wall entering Turn 1 and down to a 26th-place finish when the checkered flag flew. He would proceed to finish 30th, 10th, 14th, 39th, seventh, 36th and 13th, respectively, during his next seven starts while sharing the No. 88 ride with four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon.

    At Phoenix Raceway in November, Bowman commenced the weekend by achieving his first Cup career pole position. He led a race-high 194 laps and was in contention for the victory until a late overtime incident, where he sent title contender Matt Kenseth spinning into the outside wall and relegated him to a career-best sixth place in the final running order. Bowman concluded the season by finishing 16th at Homestead-Miami Speedway. 

    In 2017, Bowman made a single Cup Series start in the non-points Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona in February as he returned to pilot Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevrolet. During the event, he dodged a final lap incident involving Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski to battle with Kyle Busch on the final lap before being edged by Busch and settling in third place. Five months later, Bowman was announced as Earnhardt Jr.’s successor of the No. 88 HMS entry for the 2018 Cup season after Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement three months earlier. 

    Piloting the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet entry, Bowman commenced the season by winning the pole position for the 60th running of the Daytona 500 and nabbing the fourth consecutive 500 pole in recent seasons for Hendrick Motorsports. Ultimately, he would finish 17th during the 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, he notched a season-best third-place finish at Pocono Raceway in July along with a fifth-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway in April and a total of nine top-10 results, which was enough for him to grab the 16th and final berth to the 2018 Cup Series Playoffs based on points.

    He also made his first career start in the All-Star Race after winning the first stage over Erik Jones in the All-Star Open, where he would finish 21st during the main event following a late incident. After finishing 19th, 12th and fourth, respectively, throughout the Round of 16, he transferred to the Round of 12. However, he was unable to transfer into the Round of 8 following respective finishes of 28th, 33rd and ninth throughout the Round of 12. For the final four events on the schedule, Bowman finished no higher than 14th before settling in 16th place in the final standings. By then, he had surpassed 100 career starts in NASCAR’s premier series. 

    The following season, Bowman began the season by finishing 11th during the 61st running of the Daytona 500 after starting on the front row. He finished no higher than 11th twice during the first nine events on the schedule before notching three consecutive runner-up results at Talladega, Dover Motor Speedway and at Kansas Speedway, respectively. The results were also enough for him to achieve the Fan Vote title and earn the final transfer spot into the All-Star Race at Charlotte in May, where he finished eighth.

    Five races later, Bowman scored his first Cup career victory in his 134th series start at Chicagoland Speedway following a late battle with Kyle Larson. Larson overtook Bowman for the lead with eight laps remaining before Bowman reassumed it for good two laps later. The Arizona native also became the 17th different competitor to win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. He notched the first victory for HMS’ No. 88 entry since Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Phoenix in 2015. Despite finishing no higher than 10th during the final nine regular-season events, Bowman’s Chicagoland victory guaranteed him a spot in the Playoffs for a second consecutive season.

    With respective finishes of sixth, 23rd and second throughout the Round of 16, Bowman was able to grab the final transfer spot into the Round of 12. Amid respective finishes of third, 37th and 11th throughout the Round of 12, however, he was eliminated from title contention. Managing a single top-five result and two top-10 results during the final four events on the schedule, Bowman settled in 12th place in the final standings. By then, he had recorded 200 laps led throughout the season, seven top-five results, 12 top-10 results and a career-best average-finishing result of 14.4. 

    After commencing the 2020 Cup season by finishing 24th during the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 despite starting on the front row and ending up in 13th place during the following event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bowman stormed to the competition by notching his second Cup career win at Auto Club Speedway in March after leading a race-high 110 of 200 laps.

    Amid a season mired by the COVID-19 pandemic, he proceeded to secure a strong runner-up result at Darlington Raceway in May along with a total of three top-fives and eight top-10 throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch, which was enough for him to make his third consecutive Playoffs. With four additional top-10 results and by finishing no lower than 16th during the first six Playoff events, Bowman transferred from the Round of 16 to the Round of 8. Despite achieving respective finishes of third, fifth and sixth throughout the Round of 8, he missed the cutline to make the Championship 4 round. Nonetheless, Bowman proceeded to finish 16th during the finale at Phoenix and achieve a career-best sixth-place result in the final standings. He also achieved a career-high 440 laps led, a total of 15 top-10 results and an average-finishing result of 14.7. 

    The 2021 Cup season was a breakout season for Bowman, who remained as a Hendrick Motorsports competitor for a fourth consecutive season but was piloting the No. 48 alongside his entry after seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson retired from full-time NASCAR competition. Bowman began the season by notching his second Daytona 500 pole position before finishing 35th during the main event after being eliminated in an early multi-car wreck.

    Then after finishing no higher than third and recording three top-10 results during the first eight events on the schedule, he achieved his first victory of the season and the third of his career at Richmond Raceway in April after overtaking Denny Hamlin with 10 laps remaining. With the victory, Bowman achieved the first Cup win for HMS’ No. 48 entry since Jimmie Johnson won at Dover Motor Speedway in 2017. Ironically, Bowman scored his second victory of the season at Dover four races later as he led both 98 laps amid a historic 1-2-3-4 finish for Hendrick Motorsports. Another five races later, Bowman capitalized on a final lap cut tire and incident involving teammate Kyle Larson to score a third Cup victory of the season at Pocono Raceway in June.

    After concluding the regular-season stretch with four top-10 results, Bowman finished 26th, 12th and fifth throughout the Round of 16, which was enough for him to transfer into the Round of 12. His title hopes, however, evaporated following respective finishes of 22nd, 38th and 10th during the Round of 12. He proceeded to notch a career-high fourth victory of the season at Martinsville Speedway in October after a late run-in with Denny Hamlin and settle in 14th place in the final standings. In total, Bowman’s 2021 Cup season was a season where he achieved career-high stats in victories (four), top fives (eight) and top 10s (16) with an average-finishing result of 15.1. He had also surpassed 200 Cup career starts.

    After starting on the front row for the Daytona 500 for a fifth consecutive season and finishing within the top 25 during the first two events of the 2022 Cup season, Bowman rallied by fending off teammate Larson during an overtime shootout to claim his seventh Cup career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. He finished second at Circuit of the Americas in March and notched a total of three top-five results and 10 top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch before the Playoffs commenced, with Bowman making his fifth consecutive appearance in the postseason title battle.

    With respective finishes of 10th, fourth and 32nd throughout the Round of 16, Bowman managed to race his way into the Round of 12. During the Round of 12 opener at Texas Motor Speedway, however, Bowman was involved in a hard accident just past the halfway mark and suffered concussion-like symptoms that would prevent him from competing in the following five events and eliminate him from title contention. He received medical clearance to compete in the finale at Phoenix, where he finished 34th on the track before settling in 16th place in the final standings.  

    This past season, Bowman began the season by claiming his third Daytona 500 pole position and extending his front starting streak in the Great American Race to six consecutive seasons. He finished fifth in the main event after dodging a final lap multi-car wreck. Despite Bowman’s team being hit with two different level penalties during pre-race and post-race inspection issues stemming from Phoenix and Richmond that resulted in the driver losing two crew chiefs, both of whom were also hit with hefty fines,

    Bowman recorded two third-place results and a total of four top-10 results during the first 10 events on the schedule. Then in late April, Bowman was involved in a Sprint Car accident in West Burlington, Iowa, and injured his back and was absent for four events, including the All-Star Race. Despite returning at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 in May, where he finished 12th, Bowman finished no higher than fifth and sixth during the final 13 regular-season events on the schedule and missed the Playoffs for the first time as a full-time Cup competitor. Although his title hopes for the 2023 season evaporated early, he accumulated two additional top-10 results throughout the 10-race Playoff stretch before managing to settle in 20th place in the final standings. 

    Bowman, who is currently in his fourth season driving the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, began the 2024 campaign by finishing in the runner-up spot behind teammate William Byron in the 66th running of the Daytona 500. He has since finished in the top eight four times during his previous nine starts, including a recent fifth-place result at Talladega, and is currently ranked in 14th place in the current driver’s standings and trails the regular-season points lead by 107 points. 

    Through 299 previous Cup starts, Bowman has achieved seven victories, four poles, 36 top-five results, 84 top-10 results, 1,307 laps led and an average-finishing result of 19.7. 

    Alex Bowman is scheduled to make his 300th Cup Series career start at Dover Motor Speedway for the Würth 400 on Sunday, April 28. The event’s broadcast time is set to occur at 2 p.m. ET on FS1. 

  • 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.

  • Bowman to make 200th Cup start at Kansas

    Bowman to make 200th Cup start at Kansas

    Competing in his sixth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Alex Bowman is set to achieve a milestone start. By taking the green flag in this weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway, the driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will reach 200 starts in NASCAR’s premier series.

    A native from Tucson, Arizona, Bowman made his inaugural presence in the Cup Series a month prior to the 2014 season. By then, he was coming off a full-time Xfinity Series season with RAB Racing and was testing for BK Racing during Dayton’s Preseason Thunder leading up to the Daytona 500. Bowman’s testing session was enough for him to earn a full-time ride with BKR for the 2014 Cup season and in the No. 23 Toyota Camry.

    Qualifying for the 2014 Daytona 500, Bowman finished 23rd in his first Cup career race. Throughout his first full-time season in the Cup circuit, he achieved a season-best 13th-place result at Daytona in July, an average result of 32.6 and a 35th-place result in the final standings. He also settled in sixth place in the Cup Rookie-of-the-Year standings.

    In 2015, Bowman departed BKR and joined Tommy Baldwin Racing as driver of the No. 7 Chevrolet SS. He started the season on a low note by failing to qualify for the Daytona 500 after wrecking in his Daytona Duel event. From the second race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he raced, through the season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, Bowman achieved a season-best 16th-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in April, a total of three top-20 results, an average result of 31.6 and a 33rd-place result in the final standings.

    A month prior to the 2016 season, Bowman was replaced by Regan Smith at Tommy Baldwin Racing, thus leaving Bowman without a full-time ride for the first half of the Cup season. Everything changed in July, though, when Bowman was named driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS for the Cup event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July, replacing third-generation star Dale Earnhardt Jr. after Earnhardt Jr. was ruled out from competing after being diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms. During the main event at New Hampshire, Bowman was competitive and was in position for a strong result until a cut tire sent him into the wall late in the event and relegated him to a 26th-place result.

    With Earnhardt Jr. sidelined, Bowman ended up sharing the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS with four-time NASCAR Cup champion Jeff Gordon for the remaining 18 Cup events of the 2016 season. Competing in 10 events, Bowman recorded his first three top-10 career results in the Cup circuit, including a season-best sixth place at Phoenix Raceway in November, where he notched his first Cup career pole and led a race-high 194 of 324 laps. Bowman’s pole at Phoenix guaranteed him a spot for the 2017 Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona. Despite entering the 2017 season without a full-time ride, he drove Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet SS in the Clash, where he drove the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS to a third-place result following a side-by-side battle with Kyle Busch on the final lap.

    Three months after Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from full-time Cup competition after 2017 in April, Bowman was named a full-time driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for the 2018 Cup season, a move that was endorsed by Earnhardt Jr.

    In his first run as a full-time HMS competitor, Bowman claimed the pole position for the 2018 Daytona 500. During the main event, he led 13 laps and was a top contender until he was collected in a late multi-car accident and finished 17th. He went on to earn a season-best third-place result at Pocono Raceway in July and a total of nine top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. Despite recording zero victories throughout the regular season, Bowman was able to make the 2018 Cup Playoffs based on consistency.

    In the Playoff’s Round of 16, Bowman earned results of 19th, 12th and fourth, which were enough for him to advance to the Round of 12. During the Round of 12, however, he recorded results of 28th, 33rd and ninth, which eliminated from title contention. Bowman went on to conclude the season in 16th place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 Cup career starts.

    Bowman commenced the 2019 Cup season by starting on the front row for the season-opening Daytona 500 and finishing 11th in the main event. Nine races later, he earned a career-best second-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in April. He went on to record two additional runner-up results the following two races at Dover International Speedway and at Kansas Speedway in May. 

    Five races later, Bowman prevailed in a late battle with Kyle Larson to claim his first Cup career win at Chicagoland Speedway in June. In becoming the 18th competitor to win while driving for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman recorded the first victory for HMS’ No. 88 Chevrolet team since Phoenix in November 2015.

    Returning to the Playoffs, Bowman advanced to the Round of 12 following results of sixth, 23rd and second during the Round of 16. Despite recording results of third, 37th and 11th in the Round of 12, his title hopes came to an end. Nonetheless, Bowman went on to conclude the season in 12th place in the final standings and with a career-high seven top-five results.

    Remaining at HMS for a third consecutive season, Bowman opened the season with a 24th-place result in the Daytona 500 despite starting on the front row. Two races later, however, he notched his second Cup career victory at Auto Club Speedway after leading a race-high 110 of 200 laps. 

    Following his victory at Fontana, Bowman went on to earn a total of eight top-10 results before entering the Playoffs as a title contender. He transferred to the Round of 12 for the third consecutive season and following results of sixth, ninth and 16th in the Round of 16. For the 2020 season, though, he was also able to advance to the Round of 8 following results of fifth, 14th and eighth during the Round of 12. Bowman remained competitive during the Round of 8 while logging in results of third, fifth and sixth. They were not enough, however, for him to advance to the Championship Round at Phoenix. Ultimately, Bowman concluded the season in a career-best sixth place in the final standing and with a career-best 15 top-10 results. 

    This season, Bowman pilots the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, a ride driven by seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who retired from full-time NASCAR competition following the 2020 season. His first run in the No. 48 car started off on a high note as Bowman claimed his second Daytona 500 pole of his career. In doing so, he became the first competitor to start on the front row for the 500 for four consecutive seasons. His bid for a first Daytona 500 victory, though, came to an end after being involved in an early multi-car wreck.

    Through the first eight Cup events of the 2021 season, Bowman’s best result was a third-place run at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. The following event at Richmond Raceway in April, he overtook Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano following a late restart to claim his third Cup triumph and return the No. 48 HMS car to Victory Lane since June 2017 at Dover International Speedway.

    In 199 previous Cup starts, Bowman has achieved three career victories, three poles, 18 top-five results, 45 top-10 results, over 900 laps led and an average result of 21.7. He is currently ranked in 14th place in the 2021 Cup Series regular-season standings.

    Bowman is slated to make his 200th Cup career start at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, May 2, at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • 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.

  • Annett to reach 400 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    Annett to reach 400 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    A significant milestone is in the making for Michael Annett, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. When Annett takes the green flag this weekend at Darlington Raceway, he will achieve 400 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Des Moines, Iowa, who achieved two ARCA career victories from 2007 and 2008, Annett made his debut within NASCAR’s top three division series at the Milwaukee Mile in June 2008, where he piloted the No. 22 Toyota Tundra for Bill Davis Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series. He finished in sixth place in his series debut and two races later, he earned a career-best runner-up result at Kentucky Speedway. He made a total of eight starts in the Truck Series in 2008 (seven with Bill Davis Racing and one with Germain Racing). He also made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, where he drove the No. 03 Toyota for Germain Racing and finished 36th.

    In 2009, Annett campaigned on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series as a rookie candidate and in the No. 15 Toyota Camry led by crew chief Bruce Cook for Germain Racing. Throughout his rookie season, Annett achieved four top-10 results (best result of sixth place at Auto Club Speedway in October) and he concluded the season in 10th place in the final standings. He remained with Germain Racing for the 2010 Xfinity season, where he achieved two top-10 results and concluded the season in 13th place in the final standings and with crew chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle.

    In 2011, Annett moved to Rusty Wallace Racing to pilot the No. 62 Toyota Camry with primary sponsorship from Pilot Flying J and led by crew chief Rick Viers in the Xfinity Series. For the first 13 races of the season, he finished no higher than 13th place. For five of the next six races, however, he achieved five top-10 results. He nearly won at Daytona International Speedway in July after taking the lead on the final lap with two corners remaining. He, however, lost the draft with teammate Steve Wallace and settled in sixth place. For the final 15 races of the season, he achieved two additional top-10 results and he concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 career starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    For the 2012 season and after Rusty Wallace Racing ceased operations due to lack of sponsorship, Annett made the move to Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the No. 43 Ford Mustang sponsored by Pilot Flying J and led by crew chief Philippe Lopez. Annett had a successful run in the series, where he achieved his first six top-five career results, led by a pair of third-place results at Daytona International Speedway in July and at Dover International Speedway in September. He also earned a total of 17 top-10 results and he claimed the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July following a sixth-place result. When the season concluded, he ended up with a career-best fifth place in the final standings.

    Annett started off the 2013 Xfinity season on a rough note, when he was involved in a late multi-car accident in the season opener at Daytona and had dislocated and fractured his sternum. Missing the first eight races of the season and while Aric Almirola and Reed Sorenson filled in for Annett, he returned at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, where he finished 17th. For the remainder of the season, he achieved one top-five result and a total of four top-10 results before he concluded the season in 15th place in the final standings.

    Following a five-year run in the Xfinity Series, Annett moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014 and he entered the series as a rookie candidate in the No. 7 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet SS for Tommy Baldwin Racing led by veteran Kevin “Bono” Manion. Making his series debut at the Daytona 500, Annett was involved in a late multi-car wreck and finished in 37th place. Throughout the 36-race stretch, Annett only achieved four top-20 results and he concluded the season in 33rd place in the final standings. He also competed in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway for NTS Motorsports, where he raced his way into the main event following a final qualifying race and finished 25th. By then, he surpassed 200 career starts across NASCAR.

    The following season, Annett remained in the Cup Series, but he made the move to HScott Motorsports to pilot the team’s second car, the No. 46 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet SS, led by crew chief Jay Guy. Annett achieved a career-best result of 13th place in the Daytona 500. The following week, however, Annett initially failed to qualify for the upcoming race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Nonetheless, Annett still got to race at Atlanta when Brian Scott relinquished his seat, the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS, since Annett was competing for Cup points. Driving under the Hillman-Circle Sport LLC banner, Annett finished 29th. The remaining 34 races of the season, however, was a disappointing one as Annett finished no higher than 23rd place and he concluded the season in 36th place in the final standings. He also failed to qualify at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

    Returning for a third season in the Cup circuit with Hscott Motorsports in 2016, Annett’s best result throughout the 36-race schedule was 20th, which occurred at Daytona in July. At Bristol Motor Speedway in August, Justin Allgaier filled in as an interim competitor when Annett suffered from flu-like symptoms. Prior to the season concluding, Annett declared himself a free agent for the 2017 season.

    After three seasons in the Cup Series, Annett scaled back down to the Xfinity Series for the 2017 season and joined forces with JR Motorsports to pilot the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro sponsored by Pilot Flying J, TMC Transportation and Allstate Parts & Service Group, and led by crew chief Jason Stockert. Annett started the season with a 14th-place run at Daytona followed by a 15th-place run at Atlanta. Two races later, he achieved his first top-10 result of the season at Phoenix (ninth place). Through the first 22 races of the season, Annett recorded a total of five top-10 results. At Road America in August, Annett achieved a career-best runner-up result behind Jeremy Clements. Following his result, Annett dedicated his run to Adam Wright, a mechanic at JR Motorsports who died in a car accident a week prior to Road America. Annett went on to make the 2017 Xfinity Series Playoffs before he was eliminated from title contention at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. He wrapped up the season in ninth place in the final standings and with seven top-10 results. By then, he surpassed 300 career starts across NASCAR.

    Returning for a second full-time season with JRM in 2018, Annett struggled with on-track consistency. For the first 21 races of the season, he finished no higher than 11th. A week later, he recorded his first top-10 result at Bristol in August. By then, he was paired with new crew chief Travis Mack. He only achieved one additional top-10 result (10th place at Darlington Raceway) throughout the regular-season stretch while he also recorded five DNFs. Following the regular-season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September, Annett failed to make the Playoffs. He went on to conclude the season in 14th place in the final standings.

    For the 2019 Xfinity season, Annett remained at JRM, but assumed driving responsibilities of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro with crew chief Travis Mack remaining with Annett. To start the season and with American Heart Association co-sponsoring the No. 1 car along with Pilot Flying J, Annett responded back to all of his past struggles throughout his career by winning the season opener at Daytona and achieving his first victory across NASCAR’s three major series in his 230th Xfinity career start. The victory guaranteed Annett’s No. 1 team a spot in the Playoffs. His early success did not stop there as he recorded a total of five top-five results and 15 top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. He also achieved his first career pole at Talladega in April. During the Playoffs, Annett earned finishes of ninth, 15th and sixth in the first round, spanning three races, to advance to the Round of 8. He finished fourth, 11th and ninth in the second round, but he failed to transfer to the Championship Round at Homestead. He concluded the season with an 11th-place run at Homestead and a ninth-place result in the final standings. Though he fell short of the 2019 Xfinity title, Annett achieved a career-high six top-five results, 19 top-10 results and 94 laps led throughout the season.

    This season, his fourth consecutive season with JRM, Annett started off the season with an 11th-place run at Daytona and after being involved in a multi-car accident on the final lap. Through the first 22 races of this season, he has recorded three top-five results and 13 top-10 results, and he is in eighth place in the regular-season standings. He has also started on pole position for three consecutive races in the summer (Texas, Kansas and Road America) by virtue of a random draw amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

    In addition to making his ninth Xfinity career start at Darlington this weekend and while he continues to secure one of 12 spots for this year’s Xfinity Playoffs, Annett is set to sport a special Oreo scheme to his No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro that his boss and former NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove to an Xfinity win at Daytona in February 2002.

    Catch Annett’s milestone start at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, September 5, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Bowman to make 100th start with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas

    Bowman to make 100th start with Hendrick Motorsports at Texas

    When the green flag waves in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 19, Alex Bowman will reach a significant milestone in his racing career. By starting this Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at the Lone Star state, Bowman will make his 100th Cup start in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

    When the 2015 season concluded, Bowman had competed in his first two full-time seasons in the Cup Series between BK Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing. His best finishes between the two seasons was 13th at Daytona in July 2014 and 16th at Talladega in May 2015. Prior to the 2016 season, however, Bowman was left without a full-time ride after Tommy Baldwin Racing decided to replace Bowman with Regan Smith for the upcoming Cup season. All the Arizona native had in his racing schedule for 2016 was a nine-race stint in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports.

    Through July and following his first five races with JRM, Bowman finished in the top 10 in all of his starts, which included a third-place result at Dover in May. Then, an opportunity made way for him when Dale Earnhardt Jr., two-time Daytona 500 champion and one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, experienced concussion-like symptoms and did not participate in the upcoming Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July 2016. During the race, Bowman had a strong run in his first Cup race in Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Nationwide/Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS led by crew chief Greg Ives. Despite running in the top 10 the majority of the run, he cut a tire on Lap 272 of 301 and finished 26th, but he still left New Hampshire satisfied with his run while receiving the opportunity to compete alongside NASCAR’s elite. Bowman and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon would, ultimately, fill in the No. 88 Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2016 season when the concussion symptoms sidelined Earnhardt Jr. Competing in nine of the remaining 13 Cup races, Bowman recorded three top-10 results, including a career-best sixth place at Phoenix in November on a weekend where he recorded his first Cup career pole. He also competed in four more Xfinity races with JR Motorsports and earned two more top-10 results.

    Based on winning the pole position at Phoenix, Bowman piloted the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet in the Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona in February 2017, where he finished third after battling Kyle Busch on the final lap. While Earnhardt Jr. returned to racing full time for the 2017 season, Bowman, again, was left without a full-time ride within NASCAR’s three major division series, making only one start in the NASCAR Truck Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway with GMS Racing in February, where he finished sixth. In April, Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement from racing full time in the Cup Series and was a leading advocate for Bowman to replace him. On July 20, Bowman was officially named the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide/AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports for the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season. For the remainder of the 2017 season, Bowman competed in two Xfinity Series races in the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing. In October at Charlotte Motor Speedway, he notched his first Xfinity career victory after leading the final 32 laps. He finished eighth in his other start at Phoenix in November.

    In his first run in the No. 88 Chevrolet in 2018, Bowman won the pole position for the 60th running of the Daytona 500 with a pole-winning speed at 195.644 mph in 46.002 seconds. Leading 13 laps, he finished 17th in the 500 after being involved in a late multi-car wreck. Finishing no higher than 13th in the first five races of the 2018 season, Bowman recorded his first top-10 result, seventh, the following race at Martinsville Speedway. Two races later, he recorded his first career top-five result, fifth, at Bristol Motor Speedway. For the remaining 18 races of the regular season, Bowman recorded seven more top-10 results, including a career-best third place at Pocono Raceway in July, to make his Playoffs. With finishes of 19th, 12th and fourth in the three races of the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, he advanced to the Round of 12. The following round, he recorded finishes of 28th, 33rd and ninth, and was eliminated from title contention. Ultimately, he concluded the season in 16th in the final standings. During his first full-time season racing for Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman recorded three top-five results, 11 top-10 results and an average result of 17.0. In May, he competed in the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway and won the first segment to advance to his first All-Star Race, where he finished last of the 21-car field following an accident in the third stage.

    Bowman started the 2019 Cup season by qualifying on the front row for the Daytona 500, starting alongside teammate and pole-sitter William Byron, and finishing fifth in the rain-shortened Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona. For the first nine races of the season, he finished no higher than 11th. By then, he surpassed 50 starts with HMS. In April at Talladega Superspeedway, Bowman notched a career-best second place behind teammate Chase Elliott. He went on to finish in the runner-up spot the following two races at Dover and at Kansas. The following week, he finished third in the Monster Energy Open, but he advanced to the All-Star Race after winning the Fan Vote, where he finished eighth. For the next four races, he finished no higher than seventh. In June at Chicagoland Speedway, Bowman prevailed in a late battle with Kyle Larson to score his first NASCAR Cup Series career win. With the victory coming in his 134th series career start, Bowman became the 18th competitor to win driving for Hendrick Motorsports and the 192nd competitor to win a Cup race. He also recorded the first victory for the No. 88 HMS Chevrolet team led by crew chief Greg Ives since November 2015 at Phoenix, an accomplishment last made by Earnhardt Jr. The win at Chicagoland guaranteed the Arizona native a spot for the 2019 Cup Playoffs. In the three races featured in the Round of 16 in the Playoffs, Bowman recorded finishes of sixth, 23rd and second to advance to the Round of 12. For the second round, however, he recorded finishes of third, 37th and 11th, and was eliminated from championship contention. He went on to finish 12th in the final standings while recording seven top-five results, 12 top-10 results and an average result of 14.4.

    This season, Bowman recorded his second Cup career victory at Auto Club Speedway in March after leading a race-high 110 of the event’s 200-scheduled laps. He has also recorded two top-five results, five top-10 results and an average result of 16.9 through the first 17 Cup races of the 2020 season. He is coming off an eighth-place result in the All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, which occurred on July 15, and is ninth in the regular-season standings, trailing points leader Kevin Harvick by 177 points. He is, nonetheless, guaranteed a spot in the 2020 Playoffs by virtue of his victory at Auto Club. He is also scheduled to remain as driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Hendrick Motorsports after signing a one-year contract extension with the 12-time championship-winning team in May.

    Catch Bowman’s milestone start with Hendrick Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas on July 19, which will air at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • The View From My Recliner: Pre-Clash Edition

    The View From My Recliner: Pre-Clash Edition

    After taking the holidays to recharge and fight this never ending cold, it’s time to park myself in the recliner and share my view of what is going on in the world of NASCAR.

    To be honest, the view right now is foggy at best. There are a ton of questions that need to be answered. Some we will never find out the true answer (How long is the contract with Monster Energy and how much did they pay to sponsor the premiere series?) and many others we will find out on the track.

    Last year, the Charter system was going to help give owners something tangible for their teams if they decide to get out. This off-season, we have watched so many charters move around that it is hard to figure out who actually owns charters.

    According to NASCAR.com, here is the updated charter shuffle as we get close to the Clash.

    Premium Motorsports sold this Charter to Furniture Row Racing for its second team, the No. 77. In 2016, the Charter was leased by the No. 46 team of HScott Motorsports.

    Richard Petty Motorsports is leasing the No. 44 Charter to the No. 32 team of Go Fas Racing in 2017 and Roush Fenway Racing will lease the No. 16 Charter to JTG Daugherty Racing’s newly formed second team (No. 37) in 2017.

    Near the end of the 2016 season, Tommy Baldwin Racing sold its Charter to Leavine Family Racing.

    HScott Motorsports’ No. 15 Charter was sold to Premium Motorsports and Go Fas Racing is leasing the No. 32 Charter to the No. 21 team of Wood Brothers Racing.

    Circle Sport and The Motorsports Group merged operations to field the No. 33 team with the Charter Circle Sport had. In 2016, Circle Sport partnered with Leavine Family Racing to field the No. 95 for the season.

    BK Racing sold the No. 83 Charter to Front Row Motorsports, who is leasing the Charter to TriStar Motorsports for the 2017 season.

    This charter shuffling makes me worry about the sport’s future. That is something we can attack later in the season.

    Three big questions in 2017:

    1. Will the new even lower downforce package help the racing product?
    2. How big are the sponsor issues at Stewart-Haas Racing with plenty of inventory available on the 10 and 14 cars?
    3. Will there be a surprise driver who makes the playoffs like Chris Buescher did in 2016?

    Three things I think will happen:

    1. Dodge will announce they will return to the sport with a surprise team in the lead of the effort.
    2. Danica Patrick will be replaced at Stewart-Haas Racing by Matt Kenseth.
    3. William Byron replaces Kasey Kahne at Hendrick Motorsports, Erik Jones replaces Kenseth at Joe Gibbs Racing and Kahne replaces Jones at Furniture Row Racing.

    Enjoy the wreck fest this Saturday and we’ll talk next week with my thoughts on the Clash and the new race formats.

  • Regan Smith Makes a Statement with Top-10 Finish at Daytona

    Regan Smith Makes a Statement with Top-10 Finish at Daytona

    Regan Smith hasn’t raced a full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series since 2012 but this year he’s back and he isn’t wasting any time, finishing eighth in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

    After racing his  No. 7 Nikko RC/Golden Corral Chevrolet to score a top-10 in the Dayton 500, Smith said, “It was a good, smooth day for us. The car, other than the spin at the beginning, I don’t know what happened there. But I got on the brakes and it just spun out. It handled great all day long. All the guys at Tommy Baldwin Racing gave me probably one of the better handling cars I’ve ever had here.

    “Once it came down to it in the end and we were able to get a little bit of position, and we got four tires and made the most of an opportunity on that last pit stop and it came to life. I’m proud of this team. It’s a small team. We work hard. Tommy pours everything he’s got into this race team. And we’ve got some great partners and great investors, and we’re going to work hard all year.”

    Smith spent the last three years in the XFINITY Series with JR Motorsports but his future was uncertain as he announced that he would leave JRM at the end of the 2015 season. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that he found a home with the single-car organization of Tommy Baldwin Racing.

    Smith described the chaotic off-season that culminated with this new partnership.

    “It feels good. Even three weeks ago, I had no clue what was going on. I got a call from Tommy. Everything happened quick, and the next thing I know I’m coming to Daytona to go racing and have a full-time, locked-in deal with a charter. It was probably one of the craziest off-seasons I’ve been a part of and one of the most unenjoyable to be brutally honest with you. By the time it all played out, it turned out to be one of the better off-seasons for me.”

    Smith sees it as not only a new beginning in the Sprint Cup Series but also envisions a future rich with potential.

    “I see this as an opportunity to build something and help something continue to grow. Tommy has done a great job with what he’s got already. The difference this year with the alliances and the partners that he’s got is clear for me to see, and I’m new to the program. As I see it and I see the people that he’s brought in and the faces that are there, this is something where I’ve said we can grow this and be what Furniture Row was. The only difference is that I’d like to see it through this time and not see it go away too quick. It’s an opportunity to get back in the Cup series but at the same time, it’s an opportunity to help a team grow and be a part of that growing.”

    From uncertainty to stability, Smith is determined to make the most of this second chance. If the Daytona 500 is any indication, the possibilities are endless.