Why the Olympics Are a Bonding Time for NASCAR Driver Michael McDowell’s Family

Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell is set to join Spire Motorsports at the end of the ongoing Cup Series season. With four races left in the regular season, he is yet to fix a spot in the playoffs. The situation hasn’t however stopped him from having a good time with his family in the two-week break that NASCAR is on.

He told the press last week in Indianapolis that the Olympic Games are always a welcome event in the McDowell household. He takes pride in supporting his country and his kids just enjoy the time that they get to spend together.“America’s done well when it comes to gold medals and things like that,” he added. “There’s been a lot of those different seasons of the Olympics where we just dominate a category, and that’s always been fun.”

“And it hasn’t always been the same category, right? So yeah, nothing in particular, but we always watched and it was always a fun time at our house.” The McDowells are a family of seven. McDowell married Jami in 2004 following a long term relationship he had with her. They have five children together, Trace, Emma, Rylie, Lucas, and Isabella. Interestingly, Lucas was adopted from China back in 2016.

How the McDowell kids help their father deal with playoff pressure

McDowell is currently 21st on the points table. The chances to qualify for the playoffs on points is far beyond reach now. This puts him in a must-win situation over the next four races. In an interview with Fox Sports, he admitted to Bob Pockrass that the pressure to get into the playoffs doesn’t get easier with time and that he hasn’t gotten used to being in such corners.

He quipped, “We’ve had fast cars this year. So I feel like we still have great opportunities to win and we’ve got good racetracks in front of us. We’ve missed some opportunities. But every week you feel that pressure to go out and win.” He also touched upon what it was like to have five kids at home and revealed that his eldest already has his driving permit and has begun driving cars.

Four of his children are currently in their teenage years and McDowell jokes that the stress of handling them helps in dealing with the pressure of playoff situations like the one he is in now. Hopefully, the break will prove to be a beneficial one and help him finish the regular season on a strong note.