NASCAR veteran Michael McDowell recently shed light on his retirement plans and future in NASCAR. There had been speculation about his retirement in recent times, and the 40-year-old dismissed the same during the Phoenix Championship race.After finishing his first season with Spire Motorsports at Phoenix, Michael McDowell made it clear that retirement is not on his mind in the near future and that he is still hungry to perform and win races. Despite having a career filled with ups and downs, he never gives up and remains motivated to keep racing and enjoying the competition.During a media availability at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, the 2021 Daytona 500 winner spoke about his retirement and said (via motorsports.com):“Well, do I see that in the future. Not in the near future. For me, I have been doing this a long time, but for those who have followed the sport, they know my first 10 years were a struggle where I was not in a competitive environment or enjoying myself. I was just trying to stay in the sport and stay in a seat long enough to get to where I am now.” View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe 40-year-old driver from Phoenix, Arizona, has raced with underdog teams that struggled to be competitive throughout his career.McDowell falls short of winning in his first season with Spire Motorsports. He wrapped up his mediocre 2025 campaign with two poles, three top-five, and six top-10 finishes with an average finish of 18.1. He finished 22nd in the final championship standings.Michael McDowell reveals what "motivates" him to keep going in NASCAR at the age of 40Michael McDowell revealed his current passion and realism that keep him motivated to race in NASCAR. He mentioned that his motivation to keep racing comes from his continued ability to compete at a high level and challenge for wins each week.Here’s what McDowell said (via motorsports.com):“I'm still very excited about showing up to the race track, knowing we can run well, and challenge for wins. For me, that's what motivates me to keep going. So I don't see (retirement) in the near future but you know how this sport is -- it's just a matter of time before the next fast guy comes to replace me and it's just when is he ready and am I still performing at that point. This is a performance-based business and we all know that. So, I feel like I am performing well right now.”As Michael McDowell made it clear that his passion for racing remains strong, fans can expect to see him behind the wheel of the #71 Spire Motorsports for the foreseeable future. He will hopefully get to earn his third NASCAR Cup Series victory next season.