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How Did Michael McDowell Become A Contender?

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Michael McDowell has been in the NASCAR Cup Series grind off and on for the last 15 years and in that time he’s experienced the lowest of lows in performance and also the highest of highs. At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Sunday he had a career performance absolutely dominating the field and really never leaving any doubt as to who should have won. Today we look at his roller coaster career and try to find out how he got here. How did Michael McDowell become a contender?

Video Credits:
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Thumbnail Credits:
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Outro Song:
Strange Animal (Crowder Remix) by Gowan

Songs:
[FREE NO COPYRIGHT BEAT 2020] FREE INSTRUMENTAL TRAP #8 uploaded by White Mamba

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35 comments

The Iceberg August 14, 2023 at 9:33 pm

How much do you think Michael McDowell can accomplish?

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cadillacjohn1994 August 14, 2023 at 10:01 pm

HEAR ME OUT:

I may sound a little crazy here, but as long as they keep McDowell around, and invest heavily in the younger drivers of Smith and Gilliland going into the long term, I don’t see a single reason why FRM can’t be the next Robert Yates Racing.

Think about it. Like how Dale Jarrett was in the 88 car, Michael McDowell is doing better as an older veteran, peaking into his late 30s early 40s, and has already won feats such as the Daytona 500, and a race at Indianapolis, and is clearly the best driver at FRM, and maybe the best driver Ford has in Cup right now. He also took a team that had built up a steady momentum with Andretti, Ragan, and Cassill, like Dale Jarrett did with Yates after Yarborough, Allison, and Irvan had had their time, and has taken them to heights they haven’t seen too much of in competition. Not to mention, Zane Smith is a driver looking for an opportunity to succeed in a Cup team with potential like Elliott Sadler was after his time with the Wood Brothers was over, and has extreme potential to succeed with Ford no matter where he goes.

Only time will tell if history repeats itself, but I honestly don’t see a reason why McDowell and Smith, and maybe even Gilliland, can’t take a mid pack team like FRM, and turn them into a championship winning team in the long term.

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BeastMS NFL ™️ August 14, 2023 at 10:07 pm

This year round of 12 exit barely misses round of 8

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kimstmarie Jones August 14, 2023 at 10:18 pm

5 to 8 wins and 2 rounds of 8 appearances before he retires. Michael McDowell will live on as one of the ultimate underdogs in NASCAR history.

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Big Smoke August 14, 2023 at 10:37 pm

Makes the round of 12 by a bit, finishes 11th in points. I think he does very well

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JackCSports August 14, 2023 at 10:00 pm

From backmarkers to beating Hendrick Motorsports on pure pace
What a freaking story

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NascarfanthatlikesRoss1 August 15, 2023 at 2:37 pm

So true

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Isaac August 14, 2023 at 10:01 pm

MCDOWELL SUPREMACY!!!

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BlueJimmie48Fan August 14, 2023 at 10:05 pm

It’s crazy how much 15 years can change your perspective on things. Back then, we thought McDowell was just going to be a backmarker at best, but now he is arguably one of the best dark horse drivers in NASCAR.

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James Butterfield August 14, 2023 at 10:05 pm

We’ve been seeing that team risk so much to have him up front at the end of races but this race definitely was just pure domination

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Cian- Neural August 14, 2023 at 10:06 pm

McDowell has lots of potential. I swear, he has admirable tenacity where it counts. He just needed a big break.

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Irvingboy11(2) August 14, 2023 at 10:06 pm

If I had a nickel every time I saw Elliott lose to McDowell at one of the biggest tracks in racing I would have 2 nickels which isn’t much but it’s weird that it happened twice

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theLongPigChef August 15, 2023 at 1:47 am

Sometimes it’s weird to have 2 nickels.

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Nathaniel Bailey August 15, 2023 at 4:28 am

@theLongPigChef if I had a nickel for every time a nickel was mentioned in the comment section of a nascar video…..

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MaViC August 14, 2023 at 10:08 pm

This was not as much as a surprise to me as most. I actually had him picked for Fantasy before quali lol. To be fair as a bit of a wildcard but he has been pretty good at road courses. 8th last year at this track.

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Hunter NixonFishing August 14, 2023 at 10:11 pm

Maybe we can admit McDowell has been underrated the whole time. And the Gen 7 has allowed guys to show that

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Big Hand August 15, 2023 at 12:26 am

Agreed

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Aleister de Naglowska August 15, 2023 at 12:46 pm

I think the Gen7 is a factor, but I think too, it’s just having been with a team long enough to build chemistry and build upon his successes year to year instead of having to start over somewhere new.

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NascarfanthatlikesRoss1 August 15, 2023 at 2:38 pm

I think McDowell will do it again this year

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cadillacjohn1994 August 14, 2023 at 10:11 pm

Michael McDowell could very well be the next Dale Jarrett, and FRM could be the next Robert Yates Racing, should they keep up this momentum. He’s won Daytona, he’s won Indianapolis, just like Jarrett. With the playoffs being in full favor by NASCAR right now, I don’t think it’s too far out of the question for him to hold a champ trophy at season’s end one of these years.

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Skyler Lysek August 14, 2023 at 11:17 pm

FRM is the team that got the owner’s points from RYR when they closed. That’s the first time they ever were in a position to have both cars in the top 35 and not worry about qualifying to even make the races.

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SuperNASCARrocks August 14, 2023 at 10:12 pm

I remember when he was a backmarker for MWR early in his career. It’s so awesome seeing him running up front with FRM.

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NASCARFAN93100 August 14, 2023 at 10:17 pm

Chase Elliott is the runner up finisher in both Michael McDowell Victories

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Big Hand August 15, 2023 at 12:15 am

Wow

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syaieya August 14, 2023 at 10:21 pm

McDowell flew under the radar because he’s the type of driver that will give you a result exactly equal to the car that he’s given.

Even taking that one off for Kyle Busch into consideration, that team was a 30th place car for the last 5 races of the season.

His time with MWR was equally soured with a car that no one else found much speed with that whole year.

The better tell was his xfinity performance with gibbs in 2011 and 12. 9 top 10s in 10 stars with the sole exception being a 12th. With a runner up and two 3rds mixed in there.

I’m glad to see the performance gap diminished across so many teams, it’s a great time to be a driver with talent.

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HeemanMcSpeed August 14, 2023 at 10:25 pm

McDowell is a great example of a modern Micheal Waltrip or Harry Gant. A late bloomer of NASCAR.

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Nnubbs August 15, 2023 at 4:40 pm

Gant maybe. MW really never bloomed. He just had dei cars on superspeedways.

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__Boomer2__ August 14, 2023 at 11:26 pm

Here’s something cool as well: Chris Buescher won his first race (Pocono with the fog-out) driving the 34. Chris won 2 in a row this year. Who broke his streak? The 34.

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Billy Ricker August 14, 2023 at 11:42 pm

From start and park in 2010 to dominating Indianapolis in 2023, he has had a breakout career in the 2020s.

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Dan True August 14, 2023 at 11:49 pm

While I’m happy McDowell is finally getting the success he deserves, the person I’m happiest for is Bob Jenkins, the owner of front row motorsports. He took the profits from his fast food franchises to fund his race team and after almost two decades is finally seeing his hard work paying off. One of the most likable owners in the garage and just a great story all around.

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CheetahLynx August 15, 2023 at 2:18 pm

I think back to when FRR got their first win at Talladega in 2013, when the broadcast cuts to Bob Jenkins doing just the biggest fit pump. I think it’s one of the most underrated iconic moments in Nascar.

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Dan True August 15, 2023 at 2:22 pm

@CheetahLynx I agree with that. Still one of my favourite celebrations to this day

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David Jenkins August 15, 2023 at 12:09 am

If McDowell had started out in top equipment like a lot of other drivers, he would’ve been contending and winning races for years

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HappyKarl095 August 15, 2023 at 1:28 am

Michael McDowell has benefited from NASCAR’s schedule realignment since 2020 when more road courses were added.

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iBolt07 August 15, 2023 at 1:28 am

well it looks like I found a favorite driver

I’ve always liked McDowell, I pulled for him since Arca back in 2008, and it’s great to see him having developed and matured into where he is now, same for front row and I really encourage them to stick with Zane Smith.

Back in 2017 I did a top 10 list of drivers that failed to fulfill hype featuring McDowell where I straight up said that his career highlight was the Texas qualifying crash, he has absolutely taken that and turned it around

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