Sometimes, as it turns out, nice guys do finish first.
Michael McDowell’s first NASCAR Cup Series win – which just so happened to come in the sport’s biggest race, Sunday’s 63rd annual Daytona 500 – was a popular one amongst his peers in the garage.
MORE: First-time winners in Daytona 500 | Surprise Daytona 500 winners
The driver of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford, who began his Cup career in 2008 running 20 races for now-defunct Michael Waltrip Racing, finally landed in Victory Lane at NASCAR’s highest level in the 2021 running of The Great American Race. It was his 358th career start.
Long considered one of the most fan-friendly drivers and a well-respected competitor amongst his fellow racers that doesn’t ruffle feathers (well, except that one time), McDowell received plenty of praise for his landmark win on Twitter.
PHOTOS: McDowell’s win, Keselowski’s frustration
https://twitter.com/JimmieJohnson/status/1361183030178578435
https://twitter.com/dennyhamlin/status/1361206856652324868
https://twitter.com/landoncassill/status/1361312413568671744
https://twitter.com/Daniel_SuarezG/status/1361192766143930370
https://twitter.com/J_Allgaier/status/1361192355945209862
https://twitter.com/MW55/status/1361189244803416072
https://twitter.com/mattdracing/status/1361186698902790157
https://twitter.com/joeylogano/status/1361192585637883904
https://twitter.com/BenKennedy33/status/1361318062260166656
https://twitter.com/Aric_Almirola/status/1361359117529587713
https://twitter.com/DavidRagan/status/1361286234501488642
https://twitter.com/jjyeley1/status/1361330252660768781
https://twitter.com/JHNemechek/status/1361184727735140352
https://twitter.com/kaseykahne/status/1361358937669447682
https://twitter.com/CJMearsGang/status/1361352449064230913
https://twitter.com/Team_Onion/status/1361185133710237698