The 2009 season was Michael McDowell’s rookie year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The young driver earned five top-10 finishes and ended the season 13th in points despite car hopping throughout the year.

His first full Nationwide season came one year after he made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut and ran 20 races in NASCAR’s top division. McDowell gained attention after a terrifying wreck during qualifying caused him to flip multiple times at Texas Motor Speedway.

Fortunately, he was unhurt and has continued to show his presence on the race track.

Before his NASCAR career, McDowell was behind the wheel of many different types of cars. First he ran Formula cars, then he moved to the Star Mazda Series, Rolex Daytona and Champ cars before heading to the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Other than his season in Champ Cars in 2005, McDowell won in every series he has run since he started racing.

In 2007, he got behind the wheel of an Eddie Sharp Racing car in the ARCA RE/MAX Series and earned four wins, nine poles and ended his first season second in points.

He also made his debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2007 before moving to Nationwide and Cup.

McDowell will run more Cup races in 2010, and at the rate he is going he could really be a contender in the years to come.

 MORE NASCAR NEWS