Michael McDowell gripped the wheel of his kart and hung on the best he could as an elementary-school-aged boy bumped him from behind and prepared for the pass.
There was no doubt about it — the most recent Daytona 500 winner was in big trouble.
“I’m not 80 pounds [36kg] anymore,” McDowell said, laughing. “These guys were all over me.”
Photo: AP
The 36-year-old McDowell got a big thrill — and so did a few dozen boys between the aged seven to 16 — when he came back to the kart track in suburban Phoenix, Arizona, where he learned to race when he was growing up a few kilometers away.
It was a typical Thursday night under the lights, with the kids zipping around the asphalt track, having fun, working on their karts and learning the fundamentals of racing.
The only difference? That very large driver in the full Love’s firesuit squeezed behind the wheel of one of the karts.
“It’s still the purest form of motorsports,” McDowell said. “It’s so much fun to come out here, work on your stuff, learn about the feel and learn how to set up a pass. The community of racing. It’s something I’ve always been passionate about.”
The opportunity to come back to his hometown as the reigning Daytona 500 champion seemed like something that was unthinkable even six weeks ago.
A 100-1 underdog when the race began, McDowell won for the first time in 358 Cup starts after Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski wrecked on the final lap, allowing McDowell to drive through the crash scene for a stunning upset.
McDowell’s still the same humble, self-deprecating guy he was before the win.
He even helped lug his own Daytona 500 trophy across the parking lot before jumping in front of the microphone.
The veteran racer said that he has not changed as a person since the win, but it is still a little surreal.
“Who you are, what you do, it doesn’t really change, but it does give me a chance to have a bigger platform, to help encourage and inspire young racers coming up,” he said.
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung on Sunday topped the men’s horizontal bar event at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, scoring 15.233 to take his third title this season. Tang delivered an outstanding performance in the final, earning a difficulty score of 6.500 and an execution score of 8.633 with a 0.1 stick bonus. His closest competitor was Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan, who finished second with 14.933 points. It was Tang’s third gold medal in the FIG World Cup series this year, following his horizontal bar wins in Azerbaijan on March 8, and in Turkey on March
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Ninad Malwade was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
This year’s Taiwan Athletics Open, which offers Taiwanese athletes an opportunity to compete against their international peers, would be held under a new name after its organizers had earlier announced the event’s cancelation. In a statement issued yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association said the competition would still take place on June 6-7 at Banciao Stadium, but under the name “New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026.” The event was given a new name to emphasize its local identity and conform with the international practice of naming World Athletics Tour events after cities, the association said. It said it would soon
RSS