Devon Henry
It took 491 attempts, but Glendale native, Michael McDowell has claimed his first career NASCAR Cup Series pole in the second race of the 2024.
With a roller-coaster career that began back in 2008, the 39-year-old has battled and clawed his way to remain at the pinnacle of motorsports in America, and all the hard work is paying off. In 2021, McDowell earned his first career win which came in NASCAR’s most prestigious race, the Daytona 500. Last year represented another career season for the NASCAR veteran as the team dominated at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the road course for his second career win.
2024 already looks promising as McDowell and his Front Row Motorsports No. 34 team qualified on the front row for last week’s Daytona 500, the best starting position in his career. But after 24 events in his career where he failed to qualify for a race and 466 starts at NASCAR’s top level, he will lead the NASCAR Cup Series field to the green flag in his 467th career start.
Repost to congratulate Michael McDowell on his first career NASCAR Cup Series pole!
(The front row is the same as last week: McDowell and Logano) pic.twitter.com/XsEyDOTyBF
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 24, 2024
McDowell’s Ford Mustang ripped around the high-banked 1.54-mile track at an average speed of 178.844 mph and posted a time of 30.999 seconds to claim the top starting spot. Last week’s pole winner, Joey Logano nearly knocked McDowell off the top spot but fell short of bouncing McDowell off the pole by just 0.073 seconds.
This career-long search for the top spot destroys a NASCAR record that has stood since 1978. 467 starts is the most by any Cup Series driver prior to their first career pole, breaking the previous record of 404 starts by J.D. McDuffie.
First @NASCAR Cup Series Pole: ✅
We have a fast @mybenebone Ford Mustang Dark Horse! Looking forward to tomorrow’s race at @ATLMotorSpdwy. #T34M pic.twitter.com/Vw6RGRQhuR
— Michael McDowell (@Mc_Driver) February 24, 2024
McDowell and his Front Row Motorsports No. 34 team are coming off of a career year, making the NASCAR Playoffs for the second time in team history and winning at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the road course, McDowell’s second career NASCAR Cup Series win.
Born and raised in Glendale, McDowell grew up racing go-karts at the Phoenix Kart Racing Association track in Glendale, across the street from what is now Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. Now residing in North Carolina, McDowell gives back to the karting community as a minority owner of Trackhouse Motorplex in Mooresville, NC.
In 2016, McDowell became the first Arizonan to win in one of NASCAR’s national touring series with his victory at Road America in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Richard Childress Racing. The Glendale native also owns four career ARCA Menards Series victories to his credit. In 2004, he found victory lane on the former Phoenix Raceway road course in the Pro Star Mazda Series en route to claiming the season championship.
Front row, P1 for @Mc_Driver & P4 for @ToddGilliland_!
pic.twitter.com/ZoNtZSjEsW— Front Row Motorsports (@Team_FRM) February 24, 2024
McDowell leads the field to the green flag in Sunday’s Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway at 1 p.m. MST on FOX.
The series returns to Phoenix Raceway for the Shriners Children’s 500 weekend March 8-10, tickets are still available for all three days of action. Plus, NASCAR Championship Weekend returns to Phoenix Raceway to crown four champions in three days from November 8-10.
