The feel-good story of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season has to be Front Row Motorsports and their driver Michael McDowell, who scored a win in the season-opening Daytona 500 and a third place finish this past weekend at Talladega Superspeedway in the GEICO 500.
McDowell is putting together a career-year, and now he’s going to be featured in a national television advertising campaign for his sponsorship partner CarParts.com.
The Arizona-native, who is one of the most humble drivers in the NCS garage, said in a team release that he never expected to be a part of a nation-wide tv commercial.
“I’ve never dreamed of being in a national commercial,” said McDowell in a Front Row Motorsports team release. “I’ve worked so hard in my life and career just to keep racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, and to have CarParts.com recognize that hard work and overcoming the adversity to win, it’s humbling. In racing, you are serious when you are at the track, so this gave me a chance just to relax and have fun with CarParts.com. That made for a great experience and I think everyone will laugh—if you’re a NASCAR fan or not.”
Here is the 30-second ad in it’s entirety:
It’s been a long road to the top for McDowell, and his path to success in the sport’s premier series is what led CarParts.com to partnering with the driver and team, and it’s why they extended their deal in 2021.
“Having been a part of the Front Row Motorsports family for the past year, we couldn’t be more proud to support Michael McDowell, his accomplishments and determination,” said Houman Akhavan, Chief Marketing Officer at CarParts.com. “Having launched our rebrand with Michael last year at Martinsville, the ad campaign was a natural extension of the partnership. He’s an inspiration for many to not give up on their goals and dreams. We’re honored to not only share his story, but to also hopefully bring a laugh or two to drivers across the country through comedic commercial content.”
McDowell, 36, has made 367 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series throughout his career. Through 10 races in 2021, McDowell has already set or tied his career-best mark in the following categories: Wins (one), Top-Fives (two) and Top-10s (four). McDowell is also on pace to easily surpass his previous best average finish in a season. His previous best (20.9) came in 2020.
This year, McDowell’s average finish is an impressive 14.7, and he sits 13th in the NCS championship standings.
