Michael McDowell has built a reputation as one of the most respected veterans in the NASCAR Cup Series. However, even the most accomplished drivers have embarrassing moments they want to forget about, and he recently recalled one such incident. 

During an interview with The Athletic's Jeff Gluck, McDowell was questioned about something he laughs about now that was not funny at the time. He recalled his crash with a safety truck under caution at the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond.

"Danica (Patrick) was right in front of me, and she missed the safety truck at the last minute," said McDowell. "I was looking down at my dash, and there were lead-lap cars pulling up to pit on my inside. And I just nailed the safety truck. It was the most embarrassing moment ever."

On Lap 288 of the Richmond race, the field slowed down as the safety truck cleared up debris from the track under caution. Coming out of Turn 3, McDowell veered left to avoid a head-on collision with the truck on the high line, but he hit the rear of his No. 95 Leavine Family Racing car with the rear of the truck.

"It was genuinely a mistake; it’s not like I was eating a sandwich or not paying attention. There was just so much happening, and I look up and — bam! — It’s right there. Things happen fast, even under caution," McDowell further added in the interview with Gluck.

While his car suffered major damage, fortunately, none of the six safety workers were harmed. As for Michael McDowell, after being unable to fix the car, he was forced to retire from the race. 

Michael McDowell opens up about what kept him motivated to pursue his NASCAR dreams

Before getting a full-time seat in the NASCAR Cup Series, McDowell endured the start and park for five years with different teams to keep himself in the sport. The start-and-park model involves only starting a race and completing a limited number of laps, under which the teams still get paid.

While talking in the aforementioned interview, McDowell was questioned about his mentality about the future at the time. He said, 

"It was more that I needed to stay in the Cup Series, even if it was at a level I wasn’t loving. It was providing for my family, but the motivation wasn’t really about that. It was more that I wanted to see it through. I wanted to see if I could eventually get where I hoped I could get."

McDowell admitted that there were moments when his future in the sport looked bleak. He said, 

"I never really lost hope that one day I’d get an opportunity. There were definitely times where it looked less and less promising. But then something would always pop up".

The now Spire Motorsports driver explained why he decided to stay in NASCAR despite the uncertainty. 

"Maybe it was one or two Cup races. Maybe an (O’Reilly) race. It would build a little momentum. I always felt like I was slowly progressing forward. I knew if I left, or if I went and did something else, I wasn’t getting back in," the 41-year-old added.

Looking back, Michael McDowell’s patience and determination paid off. His biggest and only triumph came in 2021, when he won the Daytona 500 with Front Row Motorsports.

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Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak