Exclusive: Candid Michael McDowell Name-Drops NASCAR’s Biggest Stars on His “Unlucky” List

Throughout NASCAR’s history, multiple drivers have found themselves on the bitter end of things. Stock car racing is a competitive sport, and it’s only natural that drivers will have their off days and sometimes a lean patch. But for some, it’s a tough ordeal; even some of the Hall of Fame pedigree drivers haven’t been lucky enough to win championships. On the other hand, a few championship winners haven’t won the Daytona 500. So you see, at times, NASCAR racing can be cruel to the drivers who put their heart and soul into it. So does luck play a role in shaping a driver’s career?

According to Michael McDowell, luck is a by-product of a driver’s preparations and dedication to the sport. However, even he couldn’t help but single out a few names, who he thinks have been struck by bad luck throughout their careers.

Speaking with EssentiallySports journalist Bharat Aggarwal ahead of the Pocono Cup race, McDowell shed light on drivers who he thinks are unlucky. He also highlighted the recent troubles of Kyle Busch as an example of how a lack of momentum can derail a driver’s season.

The NASCAR greats who struggled to break their on-track hoodoo, as per Michael McDowell

Denny Hamlin is the one that comes to mind when we hear about bad luck. Currently sitting on an impressive 54 wins and three Daytona 500 triumphs, he just hasn’t been able to conquer NASCAR’s final peak, winning the championship. It’s reached a point where many believe that he is cursed and won’t ever win the title.

The likes of Mark Martin and Carl Edwards suffered a similar fate. Despite having storied careers, they were unlucky to bag the biggest prize in the sport. Highlighting this sour aspect of NASCAR racing, Michael McDowell opined in his exclusive chat with Bharat Aggarwal of EssentiallySports, “If you look at Denny Hamlin, he’s got a hall-of-fame career, but I would say he’s been fairly unlucky when it comes to the championship stuff. He’s had plenty of speed, and he’s put himself in position to do it.”

He also drew a parallel between Hamlin’s career trajectory and that of other former NASCAR greats. “But then you look at Carl Edwards, you look at Mark Martin, you look at those guys that were in that positions many times, and it didn’t work out.” While Hamlin may have had his share of troubles, Kyle Busch has been on the worst end of things, as far as the 2024 season is concerned. This was brought to attention by the Front Row Motorsports driver.

“But recently, obviously, Kyle Busch has been fairly unlucky, right? Some of his own doing, mostly not of his own doing but that happens. You get into these slumps when it literally feels like you can’t do anything right. You don’t really know what’s changed or what’s different. So timing and momentum is a big part of this sport, and if you get on the wrong side of it, it’s hard to get out,” McDowell concluded.

Now talk about luck. The Arizona native himself has found a new opportunity for him to flourish at the Cup level. After spending seven years with FRM and Ford, Michael McDowell will be representing the Chevrolet banner at Spire Motorsports.