HOMESTEAD, Fla. – On a night where Jimmie Johnson earned a record-tying seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship after winning Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, there was another team and driver not far behind celebrating for another reason.
Michael McDowell, driver of the No. 59 Thrivent Financial Chevrolet capitalized on a strong handling car despite a deep 26th place starting positon to earn his second top-10 finish of the season and first Sprint Cup top-10 on a non-restrictor plate track.
“We had a great car,” said McDowell. “We made up a lot of spots in the beginning and we just sort of maintained that all day. We were running right there 16th – 20th most of the day and the strategy worked out, everything played out. Got back on the lead lap which obviously was a game changer.
l
“There at the end we got a couple of good restarts and we had a good car. We were able to close off a good season.”
The finish couldn’t have come at a better time for the Phoenix, Ariz. native. With the expected departure of Thrivent at year’s end from Circle Sport Leavine Family Racing, the season-finale effort was a good sales pitch for the organization.
“Oh it’s a great way to end the season,” McDowell mentioned. “Anytime you can go into the off season with your best run of the season that is a pretty big deal.”
Not only was McDowell’s fourth career top-10 finish a good momentum boost for his race team, but also for the 31-year-old as a driver.
McDowell’s plans for next season have not been announced and while career-best Homestead finish will likely be overlooked by Jimmie Johnson’s record-tying seventh career Sprint Cup championship, the finish is a welcomed morale boost personally.
“Well, it’s great momentum,” McDowell added. “The last 10 weeks have been great. We have run more in the top 20 than we ever have. As you do that every weekend it gets easier and easier to do it. We’ve got a busy off season and still got to work hard and everybody is going to be trying to find extra speed come February.”
Competing in 31 of the season’s 36 races, McDowell finished 30th in the championship standings, ahead of two drivers who ran the full season schedule and three who missed one race in 2016.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
