Michael McDowell is leaving Entrance Row Motorsports on the finish of the 2024 season.
McDowell introduced Wednesday that he’ll power for a brand new staff in 2025. The 2021 Daytona 500 champion has pushed for the staff because the get started of the 2018 season.
“We thank Michael for all he has performed right through his time as a motive force at Entrance Row Motorsports,” FRM proprietor Bob Jenkins mentioned in a remark. “His 2021 Daytona 500 victory, a dominant win on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and two appearances within the NASCAR Cup Sequence Playoffs set a brand new same old for our group. He become the chief of his staff and the group.”
McDowell, 39, has 3 top-10 finishes in 12 races this season. He made the playoffs after his Daytona 500 win in 2021 and once more in 2023 when he received on the Indianapolis highway path. He is lately twenty sixth within the standings and can most probably desire a win to make the playoffs once more.
That win nearly got here at Talladega. McDowell used to be main the sphere off Flip 4 at the ultimate lap however crashed out as he attempted to dam a run from Brad Keselowski within the trioval.
In keeping with Fox Sports activities, McDowell is most probably headed to Spire Motorsports in 2025. Spire has a three-car staff this season with Carson On the other hand and Corey LaJoie because the staff’s two full-time drivers. Zane Smith is in a 3rd vehicle for the staff as he’s on mortgage from Trackhouse Racing.
McDowell’s announcement may well be the primary in lots of for drivers and groups out of doors the highest tier of the Cup Sequence. There seem to be many shifting portions forward of the 2025 season with Smith’s near-term long term unsettled, rumors of a possible downsizing at Stewart-Haas Racing and now a gap at Entrance Row Motorsports.
Trackhouse has Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez in its two automobiles. If it desires to convey Smith into the fold, it will decide not to re-sign Suarez — who received the second one race of the season — or make bigger. The staff additionally has a care for Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen as he runs a partial Cup Sequence time table this season.
If it expands previous two full-time automobiles, Trackhouse will wish to get a constitution. In step with a Fox tale previous within the week, SHR hasn’t renewed its contract with Ford and “has despatched potential patrons data on what it could take to buy a constitution.”
Stewart-Haas has tailed off significantly in fresh seasons. Kevin Harvick propped the group up prior to his retirement and Chase Briscoe in 14th is the one SHR motive force provisionally within the playoff box during the first 12 races of 2024.
If SHR sells a constitution or two, the motive force marketplace may just alternate much more. The staff lately employs Briscoe, Noah Gragson, Josh Berry and Ryan Preece. Gragson and Berry are of their first years with the staff, whilst Preece has pushed for the staff because the get started of the 2023 season and is lately twenty ninth within the standings.