Michael McDowell Announces Surpise Exit From FRM as Rumors of Tony Stewart Partnership Gains Strength

Michael McDowell has been a dedicated Cup driver for Front Row Motorsports since 2018. Having won only two Cup wins, you would imagine the night is still young. But the No. 34 Ford driver has recently announced a shift in plans. This comes after rumors of Tony Stewart’s team merging with FRM surfaced on social media.

Stewart-Haas Racing might witness downsizing soon, hinting at a split between Tony Stewart and Gene Haas. Plus their deal with Ford will expire at the end of this season. This falls in place with Front Row Motorsports’ renewed bond with Ford. Now Michael McDowell’s big announcement further fuels the SHR-FRM merger rumor.

Michael McDowell is bidding adieu to his team

McDowell recently updated on X that 2024 will mark his last season with Front Row Motorsports. He summed up the turn of events in these words, “Over half of my NASCAR Cup Series starts have been made under the FRM banner, and I’m thankful for each and every one of them. With that being said, my family and I have made the bittersweet decision that it’s time for us to embark on the next chapter of our motorsports journey, making 2024 my final season as the driver of the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports.”

McDowell’s announcement spurs the speculation that Front Row Motorsports will be Tony Stewart’s destination after all. Several prospective buyers are already eager to grab SHR’s charters. They include Trackouse Racing, Legacy Motor Club, and 23XI Racing. Yet now FRM seems to have trumped all their chances, as McDowell plans to exit a fruitful run with FRM.

Michael McDowell earned his only two Cup race wins under Front Row Motorsports. The first trophy came in the 2021 season-opening Daytona 500. Then McDowell grabbed his second career win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in August 2023. However, his luck has not played out well since then.

The 39-year-old driver has managed to snag only three top-ten finishes so far this season. He also ended a long streak of wreck-riddled races in Kansas. Texas, Talladega, and Dover all witnessed McDowell fumbling with technical glitches. Nevertheless, the No. 34 team strove well to put McDowell where he is at present.

FRM owner Bob Jenkins saluted McDowell’s tireless efforts in a statement. “We thank Michael for all he has done during his time as a driver at Front Row Motorsports,” FRM owner Bob Jenkins said in a statement. “His 2021 Daytona 500 victory, a dominant win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and two appearances in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs set a new standard for our organization. He became the leader of his team and the organization.”

Yet Michael McDowell looks forward to leaving in glory, as he still works on his skills to snatch a long-awaited Cup win.

McDowell is working on his speed

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Michael McDowell showed promise to win at Talladega, leading in the last lap. But then a wreck collected him and Brad Keselowski, as Tyler Reddick swerved past them for the win. Currently standing 26th in driver standings, the driver is pinning his hopes on the rest of the season. His team has top 15 to top 10 speed at most tracks, and McDowell believes working on this aspect will win stage points.

He shared, “The hard part about stage points is in order to really maximize the stage points, you have to have top-five speed,” he said. “We’ve done a good job of getting one point, two points, three points because we’re right in that eighth, ninth, 10th (place) in the stages. But to really put a dent in it, you need to be running fifth or sixth and then fourth and getting bigger points that add up a lot faster. We probably need a little bit more to really maximize what’s available stage points-wise.”

Evidently, Michael McDowell is working on having a fitting farewell season before saying goodbye to his FRM colleagues.