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Michael McDowell’s Make-or-Break Move: Can Spire Finally Take Him from Builder to Winner?

Harry Stone by Harry Stone
February 9, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Michael McDowell’s Make-or-Break Move: Can Spire Finally Take Him from Builder to Winner?

Oct 26, 2024; Homestead, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Michael McDowell (34) during qualifying for the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

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Michael McDowell has spent his NASCAR career fixing broken teams, turning struggling programs into top-15 contenders with nothing but grit, experience, and patience. But at 40 years old, the Daytona 500 winner is done being a team builder—he’s ready to be a team winner.

And with Spire Motorsports’ deep-pocketed backing from TWG Global, McDowell might finally have the firepower to stop being a builder and start being a championship contender.


Why McDowell Sees Spire as Different

When Spire Motorsports announced McDowell as their new driver for 2025, the reaction was mixed.

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💬 “What’s he gonna do, build teams until he’s 60?” NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass joked.

And it’s a fair question. McDowell has been the guy struggling teams call when they need to stabilize—but rarely the guy they build around for success.

But this time, McDowell doesn’t see Spire as another ‘rebuilding’ job.

“I do feel this is going to be a building process because the ceiling’s really high at Spire,” McDowell told Bob Pockrass. “They’re already so much further ahead of where I’m used to starting.”

“I’m used to building from the 30s, getting to the 20s, then the teens, and finally putting yourself in contention… But the way Spire ran at the end of 2024, they’re already in a really good spot.”


Spire Motorsports: The Underdog with Big-Money Muscle

What makes Spire different from McDowell’s past projects? One word: Money.

🚨 Spire is now backed by TWG Global, a multi-billion-dollar investment group with ownership stakes in Formula 1, the LA Dodgers, and Chelsea FC.
🚨 Unlike McDowell’s past teams, Spire isn’t scraping by—they’re investing in serious talent, both in the driver’s seat and in the garage.
🚨 The results are already coming—Spire ended 2024 with five top-10 finishes, including a triple top-10 at Watkins Glen.

If Spire was already capable of cracking the top 10 with Carson Hocevar, Corey LaJoie, and Zane Smith, then adding a road-course ace and superspeedway master like McDowell could be the final piece of the puzzle.


McDowell’s Long Road to Spire: A Career Built on Patience

Michael McDowell isn’t an overnight success story—he’s a case study in perseverance.

✅ 2008-2010: Ran part-time for Michael Waltrip Racing, bouncing between teams trying to stay in the sport.
✅ 2014-2017: Finally secured a full-time Cup ride with Leavine Family Racing—but still a mid-pack team at best.
✅ 2018: Moved to Front Row Motorsports, where he began turning a backmarker team into a legitimate competitor.
✅ 2021: Delivered FRM’s first-ever Daytona 500 victory, shocking the NASCAR world.
✅ 2023: Won the Indianapolis Road Course, proving he wasn’t just a superspeedway fluke.


Will 2025 Be the Year McDowell Finally Gets His Due?

For McDowell, the move to Spire is about rewriting his NASCAR legacy.

“I enjoy the process, I enjoy being a part of that,” McDowell said. “But I want to have results on the racetrack as a driver. That’s my primary focus.”

He isn’t content with being ‘the builder’ anymore—he wants wins, playoff contention, and a serious shot at a deep championship run.

And for the first time in his career, he might finally have the team behind him to do it.

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