In 2008, Michael McDowell’s racing career almost ended before it truly began. During a qualifying run at Texas Motor Speedway, he suffered one of the most violent crashes in NASCAR history. His car slammed into the wall at nearly 185 mph before flipping multiple times. To be precise, 13 times. The impact reached over 100 Gs, yet McDowell walked away. But while he survived, his career took a hit.
Once a promising young driver, he was soon out of a job, struggling to stay in NASCAR. Despite his hardships, McDowell never gave up. He fought for rides, raced with underfunded teams, and kept believing. In 2021, after 14 years of grinding, he shocked the world by winning the Daytona 500. Many called it a fluke. But McDowell saw it differently. “I remember thinking, ‘I didn’t do anything.’ It was just God’s plan,” he said after a year. That victory wasn’t just a career breakthrough—it was proof that he belonged in the premier series.
Fast forward to 2025, and McDowell is still proving doubters wrong. His latest achievement? Clinching his seventh career NASCAR Cup Series pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He now sits up well with some of the NASCAR champions who have been credited with dominating the last few years.
A record-breaking night for Michael McDowell
After a successful six-year-long partnership with Front Row Motorsports, Michael McDowell decided to join Spire Motorsports in 2025. Many saw this as another move to an underachieving team. But McDowell saw something different. “It’s a tremendous opportunity to continue to build and be in the Cup Series for many years to come,” he told the media. As soon as he arrived at the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team, he started delivering.
After back-to-back consistent performances in the last four races and 3 top-15 finishes, McDowell made a record-breaking run in Las Vegas. His qualifying lap of 28.883 seconds was the fastest at Vegas since 2018. This was McDowell’s seventh and Spire Motorsport’s first-ever pole position. Winning the pole at Vegas silenced those who said his six poles in 2024 were just a product of Ford’s old body advantage.
However, with this latest pole, the Arizona native now stands alongside Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin in the Next Gen record books. Notably, since 2023, Hamlin and Larson have recorded seven poles and sit in second position behind Christopher Bell. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has registered nine pole wins in the Next Gen era. Notably, Bell has been on a winning run, as he won the last three races but he will start Sunday’s race in the 13th spot.
Michael McDowell is now tied for the second-most pole positions since the start of the 2023 season.
1. Bell — 9
2. McDowell, Larson, Hamlin — 7
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 15, 2025
Meanwhile, the pole position was an emotional win for both McDowell and his Spire team. Since its inception in 2019, the team has been termed a mid-packer, but so far in 2025, they have showcased their ability to put up a show. After securing the top spot, McDowell didn’t hold back in praising his team. “Just so proud of all the men and women at Spire Motorsports. We had three cars in the top 10 last week, and to come to a mile-and-a-half and sit on the pole, it’s just a testament to everyone at Spire,” he said.
Notably, Spire Motorsports has been a team on the rise. Once seen as an afterthought in the Cup Series, the organization has expanded to three cars and is proving it can compete with the best. However, their dominance was visible and also on display at Phoenix Raceway. Last week, all three of their cars qualified in the top 10 as Carson Hocevar took charge with P3. And now, McDowell’s success proves that Spire’s investments are paying off.
Despite his qualifying speed, McDowell still has something to prove on race day. In 2024, he won six poles but failed to finish inside the top five in any of those races. His best result after starting first? Eighth at Atlanta. More often than not, his poles led to frustrating finishes, including a 31st-place result at Talladega and 30th at Daytona. But all of these were with Front Row Motorsports. Now at Spire McDowell has started finishing near the top 10, a push might set the stage for his first win in ‘Sin City.’
McDowell credits Christopher Bell for his Vegas pole!
Michael McDowell’s pole at Las Vegas wasn’t just about speed—it was about studying and adapting. After securing the top starting spot, he revealed that he took notes from Christopher Bell’s 2024 qualifying success. While they may be rivals on the track, Bell’s approach to qualifying has given McDowell the blueprint for success.
“You know, Christopher Bell last year in Round 2 just kept it a little bit lower in Turn 4, and that is how he was able to get the pole. And so, when my car went through [Turns] 1 and 2, and it had a lot of grips, and I didn’t feel like I had used it all up, I knew that I had an opportunity to potentially do that without scrubbing speed,” he admitted.
Bell’s influence on McDowell’s approach was crucial. Bell, who has been the best qualifier in the Next Gen era, has mastered extracting speed from his car in key moments. McDowell studied Bell’s technique, learning how to optimize his line to gain those critical hundredths of a second. Beyond just qualifying, Bell’s approach to consistency has shaped McDowell’s mindset.
Unlike McDowell, the Oklahoma native has converted his poles into strong race results, consistently finishing in the top 10. McDowell is now aiming to do the same. And if he successfully manages to translate the pole position on Sunday, he might win his first race since 2023. But this won’t be easy as three-time Cup series champion Joey Logano will start alongside him on the front row. They will be followed by Austin Cindric and local boy Kyle Busch in the second row. Erik Jones rounded out the top five.
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