WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.: Michael McDowell probably had the fastest car in Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen, but a late race mechanical issue denied the Front Row Motorsports driver an opportunity to score back-to-back victories.
After scoring his second-career NASCAR Cup Series win last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, McDowell carried the momentum to the Finger Lakes of New York aboard his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford.
Showcasing speed in practice and qualifying third, McDowell set the tone early in the race, taking the lead away from polesitter Denny Hamlin on Lap 4 and paced the field through the end of Stage 1 – winning the stage and collecting a valuable Playoff point towards his championship run beginning in two weeks at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
As quickly as the race appeared to be in the hands of McDowell, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner was penalized during his routine pit stop following Stage 1, where he exceeded the allowance of entering pit boxes on entry to his pit stall.
The penalty shuffled McDowell through the field, rejoining just inside the top 20, and began a severe march back through the field. Throughout the stage, a fast race car and perfect execution by a road course master allowed him to climb back through the field and finish the stage in 12th.
Stage 3 saw McDowell continue his march back inside the top-10, working his way into eighth when he made his second pit stop. A mistake by his Front Row Motorsports crew member jumping over the wall too soon saw McDowell get penalized a second time in the race.
While a second penalty would prove gut-wrenching to his day, McDowell served his penalty under the green flag a lap before the caution waved for a stopped Chase Elliott in the bus stop.
Thankfully, as the field cycled, McDowell hovered just outside the top-10 for the restart.
Utilizing a patiently aggressive approach, the Phoenix, Ariz. native propelled himself back into the top-10.
Unfortunately, on Lap 74, McDowell began to suffer a power issue and coasted his way to pit road to the attention of his Front Row Motorsports team. After evaluating the situation, they could not get the engine to turn over, sending them to the garage and out of the race in the 36th position.
What a difference a week makes.
Last weekend at Indianapolis, first. This weekend at Watkins Glen, the penultimate race of the regular season, last.
Afterward, McDowell was still proud of the effort of his Front Row Motorsports team.
“Just the highs and lows of motorsports coming off of last weekend,” said McDowell. “But I’m still really proud of my guys. This Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang was really fast. Had that penalty early, and we were still able to drive back through the field.
“Really proud of this team we have. Just wasn’t our day – a couple of pit road penalties, and the engine just shut off there. Not sure if it was the engine or electrical. But I just came out of the carousel, and it shut off.”
Heading to Daytona, McDowell is secured as one of the 16 participants in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, but the 38-year-old driver is hopeful of capturing another Playoff point or two in the regular season finale at the intense 2.5-mile superspeedway to assist in his second Playoff run with the Mooresville, N.C.-based team.
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