Michael Self

Self began racing at age eleven in go-karts, eventually becoming a Rotax Max driver who won a regional championship and represented the United States in world championship competition. He transitioned to open-wheel cars before moving to stock cars at eighteen. During the CART-IndyCar split era, Self held Mazda scholarship money for open-wheel racing but chose to pursue stock cars instead. His family funded his early career until finances ran out around 2013. Self attended the University of Utah and later studied at Central Piedmont Community College, UNC Charlotte, and UNC Greensboro. When not racing, he has worked as a road racing coach and in a capacity with Chip Ganassi Racing.

Self ran initial races in the K&N Pro Series West beginning in 2009 with Motorway Motorsports, starting and parking. He went full-time with Motorway in 2010 before being signed by the Golden Gate Racing Team, a Richard Childress Racing affiliate, for the final two races of that season. The partnership with GGRT continued through 2013, during which Self won three races in 2012 and three more in consecutive fashion in 2013. Despite the performance, Self did not return to the RCR driver development lineup in 2014.

Self returned to the K&N Pro Series West in 2017 on a part-time basis with Sunrise Ford Racing after team owner Bob Bruncati sought him out. Self initially declined due to sponsorship concerns but agreed once told no sponsorship was required. He won at Meridian Speedway after a disqualification elevated him to the victory, and added another win at All American Speedway. He finished inside the top ten in every start.

Self first competed in the ARCA Racing Series in 2014 with Venturini Motorsports, running two events but failing to finish either due to mechanical failures. In 2016, he made a single ARCA start at Kansas Speedway for Ranier Racing with MDM, finishing third.

In January 2017, Self announced a return to MDM Motorsports for the Daytona season opener. Sinclair Oil Corporation came aboard as sponsor and expanded Self's schedule to include both ARCA and K&N events. He won the 2017 season finale at Kansas Speedway, prevailing in a five-wide move after the final restart, and credited spotter Derek Kneeland for the winning call.

In January 2018, Self and Sinclair partnered with Venturini Motorsports for a half-season ARCA schedule. Self opened by winning the Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona — the 2018 season opener — and followed up with a win at Chicagoland in June. A confrontation at Salem Speedway saw Zane Smith intentionally wreck Self's car in retaliation for an earlier incident; Smith was subsequently penalized by ARCA.

Self ran the full 2019 ARCA Menards Series schedule with Venturini in the No. 25. He won at Five Flags Speedway in March — the series' first visit there since 1996 — added a rain-shortened victory at Salem, led 85 of 100 laps to win at Michigan, and claimed his first dirt race win at the Allen Crowe 100. Despite leading the standings for stretches, late-season mechanical failures and a weak final restart at Kansas allowed Christian Eckes to edge him for the championship.

Self returned full-time to Venturini for 2020 after initially only securing a partial-season budget. He won the Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona to open the year and added a road course victory in the General Tire 100 at Daytona — the series' inaugural race on that layout. He finished second in the championship to Bret Holmes.

Self made seven Xfinity Series starts for JD Motorsports, beginning in 2015 when he replaced Landon Cassill at Iowa Speedway. In doing so, Self became the first driver from Utah to compete in a NASCAR national series. His best Xfinity result was an eleventh-place finish at Road America.

Self's career represented a model of development-ladder perseverance, building wins across the K&N West and ARCA at an age when most developmental drivers had either progressed to NASCAR's top series or departed the sport. His nine ARCA victories, achieved with consistency and tactical savvy on both ovals and road courses, mark him as one of the more accomplished competitors of his era in the series.