Feb. 15, 2021 Michael McDowell has come a long way from racing BMX bikes in the north Valley. Sunday the Glendale native secured his first NASCAR victory by winning the Daytona 500. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) PHOENIX – A little luck and a lot of perseverance allowed Glendale native Michael McDowell to come away with an unlikely Daytona 500 victory early Monday morning, his first win in 358 NASCAR Cup Series races. McDowell, 36, started racing in the Cup Series in 2008 and has bounced around from team to team over the years. And while his career has been trending upward with four top-10 finishes last season, the prospect of the journeyman winning the Daytona 500 was slim – to be generous.