McGowan Motorsports

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McGowan Motorsports, also known as Steve McGowan Motorsports or MMI Racing, is an American stock car racing team that competes in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and the ARCA Menards Series West. The team was founded in 2007 by Steve and Brenn McGowan, and they currently field the No. 17 Chevrolet SS/Toyota Camry part-time for Landen Lewis and Kaden Honeycutt in the ARCA Menards Series, the No. 17 Toyota Camry part-time for Lewis and Honeycutt in the ARCA Menards Series East, and the No. 17 Chevrolet SS/Toyota Camry full-time for Lewis and Honeycutt in the ARCA Menards Series West. The team has a technical alliance with Cook Racing Technologies, in which they operate from their race shop in Mooresville, North Carolina. They previously competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the SRL Southwest Tour.

In late 2010, the team would make their debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with David Mayhew running three races in the No. 19 truck, earning their best finish of 14th at Homestead–Miami Speedway. The team's trucks were prepared by Kevin Harvick Incorporated, with McGowan serving as the operator.

They returned for the 2011 season, running three races at Phoenix, Bristol, and Las Vegas, earning a best-career finish of 7th at Las Vegas. They have not run a Truck Series race since then.

Despite years of running in the ARCA Menards Series East and West, the team would make their main ARCA Menards Series debut in the 2020 General Tire 150 (which was also a collaboration race with the West Series), with Truck Series regular Zane Smith behind the wheel in their No. 17W car (DGR-Crosley used the 17 in that race). Smith finished 5th after starting in 10th. Road course ringer Will Rodgers would take over the ride for the General Tire 100 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, finishing 5th. Smith returned behind the wheel for the 2021 General Tire 150, finishing 28th after being involved in a late-race incident.

In 2022, Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry took over the ride for Phoenix, finishing in a respectable 8th. In 2023, Landen Lewis drove the car at Phoenix, finishing 2nd behind eventual race-winner Tyler Reif. Kaden Honeycutt drove the car at Bristol Motor Speedway (a collaboration race with the East Series), running in the top five for most of the race, but finishing 21st after a late-race incident.

The 17 team would make their ARCA Menards Series East in 2023, with Landen Lewis driving the car at Dover Motor Speedway, he finished second in a close finish with race winner Jake Finch. Kaden Honeycutt drove the car at Bristol Motor Speedway (which was a combo race with the main series), finishing 21st following a late-race incident. The team ran unbadged Toyota's for both entries.

Mayhew would run two races in a separate entry at New Hampshire and Dover, running the No. 19 car. He earned a best finish of 4th at Dover.

In 2022, the team would field the No. 24 car at the Milwaukee Mile for Amber Slagle. The entry was fielded in a collaboration with Cook Racing Technologies. Slagle started 28th after not posting a qualifying lap, she finished 18th in the race.

David Mayhew would drive this car at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2012, as the 17 was being used by another team. Mayhew finished 11th in the race after starting 14th.

In 2009, David Mayhew would contest a full season in the Camping World West Series in the 17 car, although he skipped the season finale. He earned three poles, six top fives, eight top tens, and scored two wins at Iowa Speedway, finishing 6th in the standings.^[13]

He returned for the 2010 season, earning three poles and winning one race at Iowa, finishing a career-best 2nd in points.

2011 saw him scale to a part-time schedule, running nine races and finishing 14th in points. He returned full-time in 2012, and despite winning one race in the season-opener at Phoenix,^[14] he was consistent and finished top ten in all races that year, getting 5th in standings.

He had a breakout season in 2014, earning four wins at Stockton 99 Speedway, Iowa, Evergreen, and Miller Motorsports Park, and ranking 5th in the standings.^[15][16][17]

He scored wins at Sonoma and Evergeen in the 2015 season and finished 6th in standings.^[18][19] He would scale to a partial for the next few years, earning a best finish of 3rd at Sonoma in 2017. He ran his last race for the team in 2019, finishing 5th at the same track.

The team would hire longtime veteran Tony Toste to drive the 17 car in the 2019 Star Nursery 100, finishing 16th in the race.^[20] Xfinity Series driver Zane Smith would take over the ride for the season finale at Phoenix, finishing 21st. Smith, who moved to the Truck Series in 2020 to drive for GMS Racing, returned for the season finale at Phoenix in 2020, finishing in the top five. He ran the season-opener in 2021, finishing 28th after being involved in a late-race incident.

On June 7, 2021, it was announced that late model racer Amber Slagle would make her West Series debut for the team at Irwindale Speedway early in the year.^[21] Slagle worked as a crew chief and mechanic for Cook Racing Technologies, which is how the deal came together.^[22] She surprised with a fourth-place qualifying effort, but would ultimately finish 14th in the race. She ran two more races for the team that season, earning her best-career finish of 10th at the All American Speedway. 15-year old Conner Jones would drive the car at the season finale in Phoenix, finishing 19th after starting 18th.

The team increased their schedule to seven races in 2022, with Josh Berry driving at Phoenix, Slagle returning for Kern County and Irwindale, Connor Mosack at Portland, Landen Lewis at Sonoma, and Buddy Shepherd at The Bullring and Phoenix in November. Although they went winless, they earned a best finish of 2nd, with Mosack behind the wheel.

In 2023, Lewis was promoted to a full-time schedule with the team. After three consecutive races of finishing second, he broke through with a win at Portland International Raceway, holding off Xfinity Series regular Cole Custer in the final laps.^[23] Following the race at Evergreen, Lewis departed from the team to seek new opportunities. Truck Series driver Kaden Honeycutt would pilot the car for the rest of the season, earning two wins at Roseville and Madera.^[24] Honeycutt finished 9th at Phoenix and gave the team their first owner's championship.^[25]

Terry Henry would run four races in the No. 19 car throughout the 2008 season, earning his best finish of 10th at Irwindale. He returned for one race in 2009, finishing 10th after starting 9th at Phoenix. In 2010, Tony Toste would pilot the car for one race at Miller Motorsports Park, finishing 7th after starting 18th. Auggie Vidovich ran the season finale, he finished in 4th. Toste returned for the 2011 race at Miller, finishing 32nd due to an issue early in the race. Kyle Heckman drove two races in 2012, earning a best result of 7th at Miller. He returned for one race in 2013, finishing 35th due to an early DNF. The 19 car has not ran since.

McGowan Motorsports owner statistics at Racing-Reference