Matt Johnson
Spire Motorsports has two race-winning drivers this season who are increasingly safe bets to make The Chase. Veteran Cup driver Michael McDowell is the worst performer on the team, raising questions about his future with Spire.
Fox Sports‘ motorsports reporter Bob Pockrass wrote this week that Spire “has shown the willingness” to eat the final year of a contract if it means improving the team. With Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez both top-10 in points, McDowell could be the one who is replaced.
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- Michael McDowell stats (NASCAR): 275 points, 3 top-10s, 2 top-5s, 24 laps led, 16.357 average starting position, 19.143 average finishing position
McDowell, who turns 42 years old in December, has given no indications he intends to retire. In fact, reporting in May suggested that the Cup Series veteran intends to race full-time for several more years.
That might not necessarily be with Spire Motorsports. After all, the No. 71 team sits 19th in points right now, and that is after a three-race stretch with an average finishing position of 10.333.
Who could replace McDowell? Pockrass noted that Spire Motorsports’ ties to Hendrick Motorsports could give them a shot at Alex Bowman, if the driver of the No. 48 car is replaced next season. That is, of course, assuming Bowman wants to keep racing after another season was derailed by medical issues.
Two other options would be Connor Zilisch or Corey Day. Landing Zilisch would require buying him out of his contract with Trackhouse Racing, and if any team is going to do that, it would seemingly be Hendrick Motorsports. Day would be a compelling option, though Spire Motorsports would be rolling the dice on a rookie driver instead of a veteran next season.
