Early on Saturday, March 15, Michael McDowell made headlines by defying the odds to secure his first-ever pole position for Spire Motorsports ahead of the Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas. After a blistering qualifying session, the No. 71 Chevy driver was visibly excited and confident about turning this pole position into his first career NASCAR Cup Series win.
For starters, McDowell’s car looked rock solid, boasting exceptional straight-line speed, making it tough to beat — even against Christopher Bell, who is chasing a record-tying fourth straight race victory this season.
However, just an hour before the big event in Sin City, McDowell suffered a major setback with his Chevy, raising concerns in the Spire Motorsports garage. According to reports, the team discovered an issue with the driver cooling system in McDowell’s car.
The biggest concern? If the issue is serious, Spire might have to make adjustments that could cost McDowell his hard-earned pole position. However, the crew is working to minimize the damage while ensuring McDowell keeps his spot at the front of the grid.
More Trouble for Spire Amid Michael McDowell’s Setback
McDowell isn’t the only driver dealing with cooling system issues. Spire’s other driver, Justin Haley, has also reported problems. But unlike McDowell, Haley might have to endure the issue for the next three hours, as his car has already left the garage and is now on the track.
Here’s what FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass had to say.
Haley and McDowell teams are having issues with their driver cooling systems. Haley car was pushed to the grid and he likely won’t have use of cool shirt today. McDowell team still in garage assessing (can’t imagine they would make any fixes that would cost them the pole).
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 16, 2025
“Haley and McDowell teams are having issues with their driver cooling systems. Haley’s car was pushed to the grid and he likely won’t have use of a cool shirt today. McDowell’s team still in garage assessing (can’t imagine they would make any fixes that would cost them the pole).”
Pockrass followed up with another update, confirming that McDowell would still start from pole position despite the cooling system issue.
“Work continues on the driver cooling system on the McDowell car. They won’t have to go to the rear,” he wrote on X.
Spire Motorsports is doing everything possible to help McDowell secure what would be the first-ever race win for the team. Despite the rising challenges, can the 40-year-old push through and win the 2025 Pennzoil 400?