2021 Daytona 500 Champion Michael McDowell Joins Shawne Merriman

to at least five or six tracks. Last year just completely took that away from us with this little thing called COVID, uh not allowing with fans to come and Daytona, Daytona weekend, Uh, the Expinity races and the Cup races Sunday and Michael McDowell big win for him, and UH

really happy for him. And I think that, you know, just by the interview using people talking uh after the race, a lot of other people are just really excited for him and and and his journey and went in his first race and it just will happened to be in Daytona, the big one, so um way to start the season off. Should be a really good conversation coming up. Michael McDowell, Hey, what's happening? The champ is here? Yeah? Thanks man, that was that was dope. Man. I was so damn happy man.

And see you after the race. Um, you know I was. I was in Daytona, LA. Actually the last couple of years I've been down and uh, that was a sight to see. Man. How are you feeling? I feel great. Yeah, it's uh yeah, it's incredible obviously. But yeah, right now I'm in that little bit of the no sleep, getting more out, trying to keep the energy level high. So so how's that right? Because I know, um, you guys like have signings before some of the races where you

have signings and all this other stuff. What's the schedule like now? I mean interviews and people wanted to talk and how's how has things changed over the last few days or so? Yeah, I mean it's been awesome. I

mean I wouldn't change it for the world. But you know that that race got delayed, you know, five and a half hours for the for the rain, and so we we already had a race that's long, it's five miles, and then you got that that five and our delay and you know, for me, that first night, I didn't sleep because by the time I got done with media, uh and the car went through inspection, you know, the sun was coming up. So I just kind of powered through that first day. And you know, today is has

been fun. You know, I've I've been all around, um, you know, as far as zoom calls and live TV and radio and um. But it's awesome. I mean, it's what it's all about, you know. Gives me a great opportunity to you know, share my story and and to help, you know, bring some some some cool stories to NASCAR

that people probably haven't heard yet. And uh, it's a different face, right, you know, people are used to seeing Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano and Jimmy Johnson, right, and uh so it's fun to to interact with everybody and and have some fun. You know. So I was gonna ask you and not been in this situation before where you kind of all pumped up for me on my side,

all pumped up for a football game. You're ready to go, You pound a chest, your adrenaline is rushing, and you go out and you play a quarter and then a range of thunders and you got to go back into the locker room. How was that up and down man? To to find that same adrenaline to go back out there after the rain delay stopped. Like you said, it's tough, right, and and it's easy to get. I don't want to stay lazy, because that's not it, but it's easy to get.

You know, I'm gonna just hang out. I'll rest a little bit here, kind of kick your feet up. But you really got to stay in the game. You know, you gotta stay hydrated. You got to make sure that you're eating right, because you know that's six hours and normally you know you're in six hours, you're going to bed, you're already asleep, and so you know, I had to eat an extra meal. You work on my hydration. You know. I studied some film and just try not to get

out of the game. I just tried to stay focused during that time. And it's weird because in our sport, you just don't know when you're gonna go back racing, especially when you have a rain like that, so it could have been the next day. And then you're like, man, why do I eat this extra meal? And I drank all this water and you just feel like junk. But you know, our races are so long that you know, hydration is such a big part of it, and you

just got to kind of power through it. Did did any part of that help you to to go back and reset after you guys kind of started and got things going, and did did you go back and calibrate anything? What's your team? Um after you guys initially started up? Yeah, we did. You know, there was that that big accident on the front end of the race where it took out about ten or twelve cars and and we were able to escape that in but we got a little

bit of damage. You know, I just brushed the wall, missing a couple of those cars that were coming down the race. You actually have to productate, right, you have to productate. Yeah, so we we had to work on a strategy. You know, there's there's a lot of things that are moving obviously in NASCAR, but you know, one of the rules that they have is that if you're in an accident, you only get a certain amount of time to fix your car before you're disqualified from the race.

And and so that's to help prevent guys going out there with cars that shouldn't go on the racetrack that are unsafe, right. But the way that the perfect storm happened, the rain came and that clock started for us, and so we had a pretty short window that we we

had to make those repairs. And so we strategized on what we're gonna do and how we're gonna do it so that you know, we could get our our loft stop stop forward Mustang back in good shape where it was competitive, but also not making mistakes because if that clock runs out, you're done. And we knew that our car was good. We just we just needed to make

sure that we executed all that perfectly. I'm surprised you haven't gone back to your team and they're not reaching out the duct tape for a sponsorship, because I was like, hold on, did he just did he just win? You got duct tape from his damn parks? You went you

went into the wall. You went into the wall early on, like you said, And I was like, hold on, this is this is crazy, right because now you get a chance to go back and get said but somebody on your team gotta be reaching out to duct tape for sponsorship. Not if not, I'm putting that deal together for all right.

It sounds good. Let's work on it. So so, so, what's so, I've watched so I've watched the race and and my favorite part of Daytona has always been like the last ten and fifteen laps always, and yeah, I love the aggressiveness and the styles. And I had a Gray Golding on about a week or so ago, and he said that he would wreck his mom in order to win the Daytona And I said, you know what, I would too. So who who are your family? Would you would you wreck in order to win that damn race?

Oh yeah, that's funny, you know. It's drivers are like that, right, We're greedy, you know. And and I think that competitive sports are like that. You know. I think that people think about NASCAR and motorsports a little bit different, Like they think it's real personal if you run into somebody and they crash, but it's not personal. It's racing and and we're all trying to win the race and um, and so there's this fine line in motorsports. And I don't know how it is because I didn't. I didn't

do a lot of stick and ball sports. But if you play paid me to play football, I'm gonna hit you as hard as I and every time I'm gonna hit you as hard. Now, I'm not gonna take a cheap shot at you, and I'm not gonna do something that is intentionally trying to hurt you. That's illegal. But if I can hit you hard, I'm gonna hit you as hard as I can. Right And in racing there's that fine line too. You know, we're not we're not doing bumper cars where you just go to crash somebody.

But I'm gonna race as hard as I can. And if you block my move or if we make contact and you crash, that that's a part of the race, and that's part of racing, and so it's a fine line. But yeah, I mean I would crash my wife if she was in front of me and she was bloff. Um, And I expect that you guys go back. You and your wife met sixteen years old. If you're saying right now, you crash your wife, and don't don't even mistake it. She crashed me too. She's more competitive than I am.

She's she would go for it, you guys. At the end, Um, I think it was Chase, Uh, was it Brandon? And it was some it was someone else right at the end, they were they were right in front of you. And what I noticed was even after the race of the crashes and you just said about everybody kind of being even killed and as a part of sport, I still thought that. You know, when cambras get put in front of guy's face, they will say, oh, you know, this is some BS and I got it out it up.

You know, it was like people were genuinely happy for you, man, Like when logonod talked and had an interview afterwards. I mean, all the drivers were genuinely happy, happy that you want. I mean, how did that feel? Yeah? That was special. I mean it really was because you know, for me, I haven't always been in the most competitive situations, right And I've driven for you know, teams and driven cars that that just weren't competitive. I mean that's just the

only way to say it. And I think that those guys have seen me, you know, over the years just work hard and grind it out and and to stick around and you know, drive things that most people wouldn't drive, and and work really hard to you know, just to stay in the sport so to finally get a win. You know, I I really like I said that part of it is special to me that that they want to have respect, you know, for me, you know, and and what I've done in the sport to to get

to this point. And I think because they know, they know how hard it is, they know how hard it is to win a race, they know how hard it is to to drive for one of those elite teams, and um, and so that's cool. I think that you know, that says a lot about not only what you've done, but how you've done it right. And and if you're constantly doing people wrong, you know they're not pulling for you, and so you know, to be a fierce competitor but still be liked. I think that you know, that's that's

a compliment for sure. When did they finally hit you right, because obviously was um, you guys have to stop or whatever, and then you you you will come into the clothes at the end. Did were you talking to the your spider in the ear like you wanted to finally realize

you were in a position to to take that thing? Yeah, you know, we were waiting, right because once I made it through the accident and I put that block on Chase Elliot, they threw the caution, and and I knew that we were in the lead, but it was close. You know, Chase was right next to me, and Austin Dillon was right there as well. And I'm not looking exactly to see where their position. I'm trying to stay ahead of them, right And so, um, you know, they didn't.

They didn't come over the radio, and I had a feeling that we want and I you know, I started thinking, I think we wanted me. I think we just want the daytime on five hundreds. Uh. And then immediately my mind went, man, what if we didn't. What if they say Chase Elliott won this thing. I'm gonna be so upset, you know that that we were that close. Um. And so that was a long sixty seconds, you know, I don't I don't actually know how long it was. It

might have been. It might have been less, it might have been more, but you know, just waiting to hear, you know. And and NASCAR said thirty four to victory lane, and that was I was just overwhelmed. Man. I was not just with excitement and joy, but a relief. I mean, for me, I put a lot of pressure on myself. And yeah, I've been in the sport fourteen years and

I'm finally in a competitive ride. And man, if I go for teen years and four hundred starts and I don't win one of these darn races, that's not gonna be okay with me and um and so to finally get a win, and for that win to be the Dayton of five, I mean, that's just incredible. I mean I was looking at it and I was excited. We

never met in person. I've spent a lot of time at the tracks, but we uh, you know, just looking from the outside end, I was, I was extremely excited and happy for you, man, because I know how long and how hard it is, especially when you're we don't have the right equipment, you don't have the upper hand, and some of you know, parts of your career and to stay what is this long? Because it's easy for people get discouraged. I mean it really is when you when you're doing it for as long as you have.

So did any of that happened over the course when you sometimes wasn't putting the best equipment or you didn't have the best situation? Where did you have a question yourself at all to where you are right now? Yeah? I think it's natural, right, It's it's very just in our nature to to get down at times and and the question things right, but it's it's just all about

not staying there. And so for me, even when I wasn't in the greatest situation, I always held on to the hope like if I work hard and I give it everything I have, there will be an opportunity. One day, I'll get an opportunity. And I just always felt that way, you know, and you just take it one week at a time, and and and one year at a time. And I just felt like, man, I if I just

stay after it, I'll get an opportunity. And and and the opportunity started to getting a little bit better, a little bit better, a little bit better, and I started to prove myself just a little bit more, a little bit more. I mean, I would love for it to

be much quicker than it was. But I finally got an opportunity at front Row Motorsports and competitive equipment, racing full time and having a partner like loves Travel Stops, and we finally have a real deal, and I have a good team and a good group of people around me, And so that that focus shift from maybe I'll get a chance to Man, if we just stay after it and we keep putting ourselves in position time and time again, eventually one it's gonna go right. One day everything's gonna

go right. We're gonna win a race. And and some people might think that's crazy because you know, nine times out of ten we're not in the conversation about winning the race. But every week when I show up, I think I'm gonna win. I don't know I'm gonna win, and I don't plan, and and you know, I'm not an egomaniac, but I go there with this might be the weekend, This might be the weekend everything goes right, and our car is perfect, and we call the race just right and we're at the right spot and we

win a race and and we finally did it. And so it's, uh, it's crazy. Who was who was the first person you talked to? After you one? Who what you do? As soon as you want, who was the first person you've reached out to, We'll reached out to you. Yeah, you know, I don't know who was the first that reached out to me. My phone it just went nuts, right, Well, I'm sure your phone was born. I'm sure your phone

was born. You know. The first person that I called was my wife, and she had our kids there, and um, you know, they were at home and and the kids were sleeping, right and my wife obviously wasn't but hold on your your kids were hey, we got school the monday, you know. Um, and it was it was, you know, twelve one o'clock in the morning when the race got over.

But my wife woke everybody up after I won the race, and so they could see, you know, just the celebration and victory lane and the interview and and so I got to talk to them for just a few seconds and um, yeah, and you know, those are special times. I would love for them to been with me and have that experience. But you know, things look different right now and that's part of it. And yeah, but to uh, you know, my family is the most important thing. I mean,

at the end of the day, NASCAR is awesome. I love it. I love what I do, but it's not who I am. Right, I'm a I'm a dad and I'm a husband, And and that's your legacy. I mean, that's what you leave behind, right and uh, at trophies and rings and watches, those those make terrible gods. Right, And so the legacy that you leave is your family and your kids and um and to have this moment with them is is special and it's a life lesson for my kids too. Don't give up. You just keep

fighting hard. You just never know the last thing. Um. So you you're talking about your team and did you get a chance to talk to Bob and sitting out with your team dad and discuss like where you guys are right now and what's the were you planning on doing next? Yeah, obviously Bob is a static you know it's yeah, tell tell me, tell me a little bit about you know, how how was that conversation. You know, Bob and I have a very unique relationship. And and Bob is a friend to me. I mean he really is.

He's a friend, and he's a mentor. And and so when I get on the phone with him, you know, I'm not worried about man, what's what's my owner gonna say? Is he gonna be you know, upset with me if

I did you know this or that? And and so we have a you know, a great relationship, and and it meant so much to him, not that his team won, but that I won because you know, a lot of this that he does, he's doing it for me because he feels like I deserved a shot and and so for him, I think it's super gratifying that you know that I was was able to do it, and to do it in his car, and um, you know, to lock us in the playoffs, you know all those things that come with it, you know, to be in the

All Star Race and you know, to be in the clash and all the you know, the perks that come with winning. You know, the Daytona five hundred. We both get the experience and you know, it kicks off our season right and you know, it gives us a shot in the arm and some momentum. And we're looking forward to this year. We're looking forward to the playoffs. You know. I mean, we know, hey, we're not gonna win every weekend. We know that. We know that, you know, there's five

or six guys that win majority of these races. But we're gonna keep grinding just like we have. We're gonna keep fighting, and we'll keep working hard at the shop and at the racetrack and and maybe we put ourselves in position again and do it again. You just never know absolutely. Man. Well, Michael, I appreciate it. I know you've got a thousand different things going on, and uh, this won't be the last. Man. I gotta I gotta

feel in this this confidence boos. Just just just walk around your chest out a little bit more, you know. Now you're feeling good. Uh, congratulations again man, and thanks for I'm going on appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks guys

for listening. And I really appreciate that. Uh. Looks as a NASCAR season, man, you know what it is, Um, it's always a favorite time for me because I have, you know, tons of friends across the NASCAR circuit and I get a chance to kind of dive into the races, the tracks, uh, and I will be back at tracks this year. And it was a great conversation I've just

had with Michael Um. And the cool part about that is is that you know, he understands, uh that there he he's not gonna win every race every single week and a week out, and he understands that he comes into races underdog, and uh, the attitude and the positivity and the confidences he had now going into the next step and his team and Bob Jenkins and those guys. That were the big congratulations, and I told him I'm

working on that duct tape sponsorship. He went into the wall and one of one of race with duct tape on. How about that? Uh, So, thank you, guys, I appreciate it for listening to another lights Out podcast with me. Sean Raymond continued to download, subscribe, lead those great reviews that you guys been leaving. Um, I belief we're over a few hundred thousand downloads now and it's really all because of you guys. Will be honest, UM shows me you really enjoy what we're talking about and uh, just

listening to me Rambalogan, So I really appreciate that. Again. Next week you come in hot with another big one.