AVONDALE, AZ — NASCAR is back in the Valley this week with races on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. In the lead-up to race day, one Cup driver with local ties is giving back to the community where he got his start in the racing world.
Michael McDowell began racing go-karts when he was just 8 years old at the Phoenix Kart Racing Association.
"My racing roots and history are here in Arizona," McDowell said.
From go-karts to stock cars, McDowell has been a NASCAR driver in the Cup Series for over a decade, most notably winning the Daytona 500 in 2021. Back in Phoenix, McDowell is taking some time to be with family and also engage with Valley kids at a Boys and Girls Club in Avondale.
“Just being home is great, having events like this, having some fun with the boys and girls, teach them a little about racing, and hopefully turn them into fans," McDowell said.
Kids got to race cars, play video games, and simulate a NASCAR pit crew. There are 30 Boys and Girls Clubs across the Valley, serving over 16,000 young people. While not everyone can become a race car driver, they hope events like this inspire Valley youth to start thinking about what they want to do when they grow up.
“This is all related to STEM, tech, engineering, building cars, which is then workforce readiness and development," Tim Emory with the Boys and Girls Club said. "NASCAR, Phoenix Raceway, they’re helping us make sure all of our kids can live up to their full potential.”
In addition to the event, each kid received two free tickets to the Xfinity Series race on Saturday.
