The NASCAR world watched in silence as Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell dealt each other blows during the 2019 TicketGuardian 500 at Phoenix. The incident brought Suarez and McDowell into the limelight as they shoved and punched, sparking a scuffle during qualifying at ISM Raceway.

Fast forward to 2026, the two drivers are at Spire Motorsport and will be driving for the same team in the Cup Series. If this wasn’t surprising enough, the team’s latest post left fans in disbelief as Suarez and McDowell unveiled a new avatar.

Old foes Suarez and McDowell are united, thanks to Spire

On Sunday, Spire Motorsports posted a video on X showing Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell playfully boxing. The 21-second clip shows the two drivers pointing at each other with their fists up.

It’s a sharp contrast from their 2019 incident in Phoenix, when McDowell held Suarez up during the first round of qualifying. As a result, Suarez struggled to complete his lap and had to start the race 28th.

Suarez, who was racing for Stewart-Haas Racing at the time, confronted McDowell afterward. McDowell also didn’t benefit, as he was set to start 27th, right next to Suarez.

“He was in my way for the entire second lap, and he messed up my opening of the third lap. So, he pretty much messed up my whole qualifying,” Suarez said. “I’m the kind of driver that I’m going to give a lot of respect to you, always, if you give me respect back. If you don’t give me respect, I’m going to go kick your ass.”

McDowell, who was racing for Front Row Motorsports, addressed the situation afterward.

“It was kind of chaotic out there. I’d be upset, too. I messed up his lap, but then he tried to crash us. I made a mistake, an honest mistake. Everybody makes mistakes. It’s just part of it. It’s not how we wanted it to go. It hurt us as well.”

Things did not improve for them in the race, though, as Michael McDowell crashed out on Lap 157. Daniel Suarez, on the other hand, finished the race, but in 23rd place. Since then, there have been no major conflicts between the two drivers.

In the latter half of 2024, fortune changed for McDowell as he had to part ways with Front Row Motorsports. He joined Spire Motorsports for the 2025 Cup Series season under a full-time obligation.

Daniel Suarez, on the other hand, saw his ride at the Trackhouse Racing go to Connor Zilisch. As a result, he parted ways and joined McDowell at Spire Motorsport for the 2026 Cup Series season. With barely a month to go before the season gets underway, Spire Motorsports unveiled the two drivers, leaving fans surprised.

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Fans recall the incident from 2019 as Spire unravelled drivers

Spire Motorsports has posted the two drivers together before, but their playful fight caught fans’ attention this time. Reacting to the footage, fans recalled what happened in 2019 and noted how different things look seven years later.

One fan commented, “Unfinished business from 2019.”

Another fan wrote, “So that is how teammates get to know each other! I wouldn’t want to face either @Daniel_SuarezG or @Mc_Driver in the ring. Is this their way of making up after Phoenix years ago?”

Another fan joked, “Wouldn’t be their first time.”

“The more things change, the more they stay the same. Now, teammates Michael McDowell and Daniel Suarez are still sparring with each other. This time, it seems a lot friendlier, though,” wrote another fan.

One fan referenced their connection with Carson Hocevar at Spire and added, “Good to see these guys and Hocevar on that team. Honestly, as a long-time doubter of Suarez, I hope he succeeds here.”

Another fan joked about McDowell’s performance improving after the earlier incident, writing, “You know, after Suarez dropped him on his head, he started racing better… somebody grab Ware and Gragson.”

With both Michael McDowell and Daniel Suarez now with new teams, it will be worth watching how Suarez’s first season compares to McDowell’s 2025 when the season begins at Daytona.