Exclusive: Michael McDowell Reportedly the “Snitch” Who Got NASCAR Team Kicked Out at Talladega

From nearly missing the cut at last Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 Xfinity Series race to finishing at a respectable P11, it wasn’t just a big day for Mason Massey. Fans were also brought closer to the sport owing to a collaboration between Fan Controlled Sports + Entertainment and EssentiallySports’ sub-brand, Lucky Dog on Track.

However, Massey’s #14 team ended up in hot water with NASCAR after a fellow driver in the same RV lot reported the team to NASCAR officials, nearly resulting in them being kicked out. At the time, no one knew for sure who the so-called “snitch” was, but according to Massey’s crew chief Jason Miller, the word on the street was that it was Michael McDowell.

Mason Massey’s crew chief said he would find out the truth about Michael McDowell

During an exclusive chat with EssentiallySports, in partnership with Fan Controlled Sports, host Josh Macuga asked Mason Massey’s crew chief if he thought Kyle Weatherman was the snitch at Talladega. The host was probably eager to take Weatherman’s name because of the prior events that unfolded at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

During this season’s Xfinity Race at the quad-oval track, tensions reached a boiling point. The DGM racing driver was at odds with Jason Miller, the crew chief for J.J. Yeley’s #14. He had seemingly bumped into the #14, sending it spinning for a short while. This was enough for the crew chief to yell into the radio, “He better have some pants on after this race because I’m going to come find him.” 

The temperature, though, seems to have cooled off by now as Miller quickly cleared Kyle, saying, “No! I don’t think Kyle had anything to do with it.” When pressed for another suspect, Miller didn’t hesitate to mention a name he’d heard being thrown around. “Somebody—I don’t know if it’s true or not—but somebody said it was Michael McDowell that complained about it. I don’t know how true that is. I cannot confirm that, but when I see Michael, I will ask him.”

In his exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, when Josh Macuga suggested backing Miller up during the potential confrontation, Miller was all in. He explained, “Oh yeah! I’m gonna find out. The bad thing is it was Mason’s motorhome and Mason only lived an hour from there. He decided he was just going to go home and let the guys hang out there. But it didn’t work out.”

So, what exactly went down back there? Initially, Mason Massey didn’t qualify for the main Xfinity race at Talladega. But luck turned his way when Garrett Smithley was disqualified after his car failed an inspection. This twist gave Massey and his crew a shot to race, and understandably, their celebrations might have gotten a bit loud, for which they were reported.

Fans quickly started guessing who might have reported Massey’s Lucky Dog and Fan Controlled crew. The buzz grew until the #14’s experienced crew chief, Jason Miller, cut through the rumors. He shared some inside scoop, pointing to Michael McDowell as the likely snitch.

Was it fair to kick the team out even though they were inside their driver’s RV? Do share your thoughts!