2025 hasn’t been the year of Michael McDowell by any means, and he’s been nowhere near making it to the Championship 4 set to take place in Phoenix next weekend. Still, he’s looking to finish the year on a strong note.
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Last year, driving the No. 34 Ford Mustang for Front Row Motorsports, McDowell claimed a series-best six pole positions, recorded a career-high 14.6 average start, and had a 21.31 average finish. He wrapped up 2024 with two top-fives, seven top-10s, and a 23rd-place finish in the championship.
This year, with two poles at Las Vegas and Talladega, an average start of 15.1, and an 18.49 average finish, along with two top-fives and seven top-10s, the Spire Motorsports driver hopes his final outing will be stellar. Across 29 career starts at Phoenix, the 40-year-old carries an average finish of 28.3 with two top-10s to his name.
Speaking ahead of the finale, McDowell stressed that it’s the occasion, not the track, that makes the weekend special, which makes it a big deal for the drivers. “It’s not so much the track as it is the weekend,” he said.
“It’s the championship weekend. It’s high intensity and high excitement. But for me, it’s the last race of the season, and you want to go out with good momentum. I know it sounds silly, but we always talk about, you’re only as good as your last race, and you don’t want to carry your last race into the offseason if it is not a good one.”
McDowell added that finishing the season with a good finale means everything to the team. “Finishing off strong is super important for everybody at the shop, the crew, and morale. It’s a grueling season,” he shared. Reaching the finish line, McDowell admitted, can test a driver’s endurance, and the goal is to avoid ending the year “with that gut shot” feeling of running out of steam.
For McDowell, the final stretch is all about momentum heading into 2026. In 2023, he capped his season with a ninth-place finish at Phoenix, securing 15th in points and his second playoff appearance. Though he missed the postseason cut this year, his focus remains fixed on delivering a repeat of that strong finish.
So far, the #71 driver has only cracked the top 10 in a season finale twice, once at Homestead in 2016 and again two years ago at Phoenix, but he’s keen to make it three.
