MICHAEL MCDOWELL (SPIRE MOTORSPORTS) CHEVY
2025 FANTASY LIVE POINTS: 21st
2026 FANTASY NASCAR RANK: 21st
* The 2026 ranking are based on the driver’s projected points scored for the 2026 season and Not his predicted finish in the Cup Series standings. The rankings are based on the driver’s performance last year, momentum heading into the 2026 season and the strength of the driver’s team.
2025 RECAP: Michael McDowell completed his 18th season in the Cup Series and his 16th season as a full-time driver. McDowell made the switch from Front Row Motorsports in 2024 to Spire Motorsports in 2025. Despite being on a new team, with a new manufacture, the switch did not affect McDowell much last year. He finished 23rd in the NASCAR Cup Series Points Standings in 2024 with Front Row Motorsports and McDowell finished 22nd last year with Spire Motorsports. The most significant change with McDowell last year came at the Superspeedway tracks. McDowell was almost a lock for a front row start every time the Cup Series competed on a Superspeedway when McDowell drove for Front Row Motorsports. He won the pole in four of the five Superspeedway races in 2024. His average starting position at the Superspeedway tracks last year was 19.3. McDowell really missed the Ford horsepower on the Superspeedways tracks after he switched to Spire Motorsports.
The good news for Fantasy NASCAR players is that Michael McDowell has been around for a long time. We know what we are going to get with McDowell when he is on our Fantasy NASCAR lineups. McDowell is at his best on the road courses and the Superspeedway tracks. His ability to finish in the top-10 at these “wild card tracks” allows us to save our top drivers for the more predictable oval tracks.
Michael McDowell was at his best last year on the road courses. He finished 11th at COTA, fifth in Mexico, fourth at Sonoma and fifth at the Charlotte Roval. He also surprised people with a few decent runs on the short, flat tracks last year. McDowell finished eighth in New Hampshire and eighth in his home town of Phoenix. Overall, McDowell was a good pick for your Fantasy NASCAR team as long as you used him at the tracks he has run well at in the past.
2026 PREVIEW: Everything will be the same for Michael McDowell in 2026. Travis Peterson will return as the crew chief and Workforce and Go Bowling will share the primary sponsorship of the No. 71 car. McDowell will have a new teammate in 2026. Justin Haley is out of the No. 7 car and Daniel Suarez is in. This change should help McDowell on the road courses because Suarez is good at these types of tracks and the two drivers can share information. The other driver for Spire Motorsports is Carson Hocevar. McDowell was the leader of the Spire Motorsports team last year, because he was the veteran in the garage. I expect that torch to be passed to Hocevar in 2026.
Do not try to make Michael McDowell more complicated than he needs to be. He is a good pick for your Fantasy NASCAR lineups when the Cup Series competes on the road courses. He has had some success on the short, flat tracks and the 1.5-mile intermediate tracks, but he is too inconsistent to trusts in your lineups. Use McDowell at the road courses, at Atlanta and possibly Daytona. Fade him in the other races in 2026. We have 18 years of data to work with. Nothing has changed with this driver over that time.
BEST TRACKS FOR MICHAEL MCDOWELL: The best track by far for Michael McDowell is Sonoma. He finished 4th, 7th, 2nd and 3rd in his four races in the Gen-7 car at Sonoma. Make sure McDowell is in all of your Fantasy NASCAR lineups when the Cup Series competes in wine country. He is also a good pick for your One & Done Contests at Sonoma.
The other tracks where Michael McDowell has had success is at include Atlanta, the Charlotte Roval, Watkins Glen and New Hampshire. McDowell can be considered for your Fantasy NASCAR lineups at any of these tracks in 2026.
One & Done Tracks for Michael McDowell: 1) Sonoma, 2) Watkins Glen, 3) Charlotte Roval, 4) Atlanta, 5) New Hampshire
* These Rankings are based off of the driver’s average DraftKings Points at each track in 2025
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* Team Information from Jaysky.com
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