WATKINS GLEN – While Michael McDowell didn’t earn a top-10 finish in his 200th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on Sunday, the Circle Sport Leavine Family Racing driver still had a solid weekend.
Reflecting through his first 199 Sprint Cup Series starts, McDowell has experienced the good and bad. From a vicious qualifying crash at Texas Motor Speedway in 2008 to a career-best seventh at Daytona International Speedway last July, the 31-year-old reflected on his career while en route to the Finger Lakes of New York.
“I thought about it on the drive up here and I talked with my wife about it,” said McDowell. “More than anything I’m thankful and grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to do it. If I really look back, it’s crazy. There’s no reason in the world that I thought I would be making 200 starts and have the opportunity to outlast a lot of guys in this sport that are very talented. It’s very humbling.”
Considered by many as a road course expert, McDowell lived up to those expectations in qualifying on Saturday, hustling his No. 95 Thrivent Financial Chevrolet to the 11th fastest time, his best start of the season.
From the drop of the green, McDowell settled into a solid pace and even survived a Lap 84 crash to recover for a 17th place finish, a career-best at the 2.45-mile road course in eight starts.
“The team did a great job all weekend,” added McDowell after a sold out Cheez-It 355. “We had a solid qualifying effort with an 11th place starting spot for the race. The race result was solid but not entirely what we wanted.
“We’ve progressed a lot in the past few weeks as a team and the results are starting to show. Thanks to Thrivent Financial for their support and we’re looking forward to Bristol in two weeks.”
Even if it wasn’t exactly a satisfying finish Sunday for McDowell, the positive direction of his team is something to be satisfied with. And the Phoenix, Arizona native realizes that.
“The upside to it too is that I’m having one of the best seasons I’ve had in a long time. We are still a young and small organization but we are growing and I feel we are getting more competitive. And I feel like I’m at my best. So, I hope I can have 200 more.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
