2 CAR RACE REPORT
BAD LUCK MARS DOMINANT PERFORMANCE BY MCDOWELL, ESR
Mechanical problems take pole-sitter out of contention at Winchester
WINCHESTER IN (MAY 7, 2007) - After shattering a ten year-old track record to win the pole and leading the most laps in the race, Michael McDowell and Eddie Sharp Racing suffered mechanical difficulties leading to a disappointing 22nd place finish. But there was no doubt that McDowell's No. 2 Z-Line Designs / Make-A-Wish / Beck Dodge was the class of the field this weekend.
In his first race at the half-mile track, McDowell turned a lap of 16.319 seconds, good enough not only for the pole, but to best Tim Steele's ten year-old track record. With the same chassis used at Salem Speedway (where McDowell qualified on the pole and finished 3rd), the Arizona native was optimistic about his chances for the win.
As soon as the green flag dropped, McDowell showed that he was the man to beat. The No. 2 Dodge led the first 65 laps, giving away the lead only to get four tires and fuel following a yellow flag. After the caution period, McDowell re-started 11th and worked his way back up to 4th until he felt a vibration and was forced to pit again after another caution flag waved.
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"We had the car to beat. That's for sure..."
- Michael McDowell
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While attempting to climb through the field, the car gave way to mechanical difficulties when pieces of his wheel broke off and got caught in between his brake rotor and caliper, ultimately destroying the caliper. Once that happened, McDowell brought the car into the garage early and settled for a 22nd place finish.
While the race didn't give the result he wanted, McDowell was pleased with the team's effort:
"We had the car to beat, that's for sure," said McDowell after the race. "Both ESR cars were fast and either one of us could have won. Winning the pole was huge and proving that we were the dominant team added to that, but we're just snake-bitten it seems. This is a team that has the potential to seal the deal (with a win) and we're just going to keep working towards doing that."
The 22nd place finish drops McDowell to 6th in the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings after six of 23 races.
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22 CAR RACE REPORT
AFTER TOP-TEN RUN AT WINCHESTER, ESR LOOKS TOWARD KENTUCKY
Josh Wise scores 7th place finish at Winchester; Ken Butler III takes on Sparta
MOORESVILLE, NC (MAY 2, 2007) - "Dominance" was the word of the day for Eddie Sharp Racing at Winchester Speedway; however, a win wasn’t in the works as various mechanical and tire troubles marred good runs by both ESR entries. After a broken caliper took Michael McDowell and the No. 2 ESR car out of the race, Josh Wise and the No. 22 machine looked poised to step out of the shadows and into the winner’s circle. After leading 48 laps on the day, Wise cut down a tire and pitted under green flag conditions, going one lap down. He finished 7th in the race, adding to a Winchester record that already includes a 5th and a 6th in the USAC National Series.
With two top-ten finishes in a row, the ESR No. 22 team heads to the Kentucky Speedway for the Buckle-Up Kentucky 150, full of optimism. Ken Butler III will return to the driver’s seat of the Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota after a successful test at the 1.5 mile track last month.
Butler has finishes of 20th (Lakeland) and 32nd (Salem) in two races this year. Even though the rookie hasn’t had the finishes to his liking, the success of the test, as well as ESR’s prowess at intermediate tracks has team owner Eddie Sharp looking for a solid finish in Sparta, Kentucky:
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"There's no reason why we can't finish up front at Kentucky."
- Eddie Sharp
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"The whole (No. 22 team) has improved as far as overall results go and I fully expect Ken to be very capable of a good run this weekend," said Sharp. "Bad luck has been the story of the year thus far, but the cars have been running well and the two teams have been feeding of each other’s success. There’s no reason we can’t finish up front at Kentucky."
ARCA Pole Qualifying will take place at 4 pm on Saturday. The one-day show will conclude following the race, which begins at 8 pm under the lights at Kentucky Speedway.
Up Next: Eddie Sharp Racing ventures to Sparta, Kentucky to take on the Kentucky Speedway on Saturday, May 12 for the Buckle-Up Kentucky 150. |
QUALIFYING UPDATE
MCDOWELL TAKES WINCHESTER POLE; SETS NEW TRACK RECORD
Wise Qualifies Fifth But Damages Car; Starting From Back
| Qualifying Results: Winchester |
POS |
NO |
DRIVER/HOMETOWN |
TEAM & CAR |
TIME |
SPEED |
1 |
2 |
Michael McDowell
Phoenix AZ |
Z Line-Make A Wish-Beck Dodge |
16.319 |
110.301 |
5 |
22 |
Josh Wise
Mira Loma CA |
ESR Development Team Dodge |
16.567 |
108.650 |
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WINCHESTER IN (MAY 5, 2007) - ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie of the Year contender Michael McDowell, in the No. 2 Z Line-Make A Wish-Beck Dodge, did not let a lack of experience at Winchester Speedway slow him down on Saturday evening. The 2007 Rookie of the Year contender earned his second career ARCA Sim Factory Pole Award, circling the .5-mile high-banked oval in 16.319 seconds and breaking a ten-year-old track record set by Tim Steele in 1997.
"It was awesome to break the track record and to get a second pole," said McDowell. "It just shows how great of a program Eddie Sharp has. I think we have a shot at the win tomorrow."
The Phoenix, Arizona native has never competed at Winchester Speedway before and did not test.
Qualifying fifth, McDowell's teammate, Josh Wise, in the No. 22 ESR Development Team entry, backed into the turn-two wall during his second of two qualifying laps. He will start Sunday's Winchester ARCA 200 from the rear of the field so that the team can make repairs to the racecar.
ARCA Sim Factory Pole Qualifying was delayed by several hours after rain showers pushed back Winchester Speedway's Saturday schedule. The Winchester ARCA 200 starts Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
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PRACTICE UPDATE
ESR LEADS FIELD IN WINCHESTER PRACTICE
McDowell and Wise One-Two
| Practice Results: Winchester |
POS |
NO |
DRIVER/HOMETOWN |
TEAM & CAR |
TIME |
SPEED |
1 |
2 |
Michael McDowell
Phoenix AZ |
Z Line-Make A Wish-Beck Dodge |
16.602 |
108.421 |
2 |
22 |
Josh Wise
Mira Loma CA |
ESR Development Team Dodge |
16.694 |
107.823 |
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WINCHESTER IN (5-5-07) - ESR's two entries rocketed to the top of the speed charts Saturday afternoon at Winchester Speedway, with Rookie of the Year contender Michael McDowell leading the charge around the .5-mile high-banked oval
McDowell, who has never competed at Winchester Speedway, did not test at the Indiana-based short track. This afternoon's practice session marked his first laps around the track in the No. 2 Z Line Designs-Make A Wish-Beck Dodge. Michael Waltrip Racing development driver Josh Wise, in ESR's No. 22 car, was second quickest.
"The car was good," said Wise, who is completing a partial ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule this season. "I told the team I wanted to come race here because I made my ARCA debut here last year and the car was tight, so I told the team to make it wider. They just made it a lot wider and then we tightened it up a little bit when we got here."
Team owner Eddie Sharp credited his driver's positions at the top of the charts to good people, hard work, and the advantages that come when two teams work together as one
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MOORESVILLE, NC (May 3, 2007) - Pole? Check. Top-five finish? Got it. Adversity? Overcame it. The last two races for Michael McDowell and Eddie Sharp Racing have acted as high notes for the 2007 season. Now, McDowell looks to raise the bar even higher.
McDowell and the No. 2 Z-Line Designs / Make-A-Wish / Beck Dodge will venture to Winchester Speedway in Indiana for this Sunday's Winchester ARCA 200, the sixth race of the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series season.
For Winchester, ESR brings the very chassis that McDowell drove to a pole and 3rd place finish two weeks ago at Salem Speedway. After last week's 11th place finish at Kansas, the team sits in the top-five in point standings and is hoping to continue that ascent.
McDowell, who makes his first career start on the Indiana half-mile track, likes his chances for not only a good points day, but also a victory:
"We've got a good (car) coming with us to Winchester. It was scary fast at Salem and that will apply here," explained McDowell. "We're confident; at Kansas I made a mistake in qualifying which put us behind the eight-ball a little bit, but that didn't take away from what we were doing. If we can go mistake free on Sunday, then there's no doubt in my mind we'll be sitting in victory lane before it's all said and done."
McFACTS:
> McDowell has advanced five positions in the point standings in the last two races and is currently in 5th position.
> This is McDowell's first career race at Winchester Speedway.
> In ARCA's two short track races in 2007, McDowell has an average qualifying position of 4th and claimed a pole at Salem Speedway.
> McDowell has scored five top-ten finishes in his last eight races.
> McDowell is currently ranked 2nd in the ARCA Rookie of the Year standings.
RACE:
Winchester ARCA 200
Date: Sunday, May 6, 2007
Track: Winchester Speedway (Winchester, IN)
Race Distance: 200 Laps (100 miles)
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"We need to bottle up that success and carry it to Winchester."
- Team Owner Eddie Sharp |
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MOORESVILLE, NC (May 2, 2007) - Just as the No. 2 Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) team had found the season's turning point at Salem, the ESR No. 22 machine was running on all cylinders at Kansas.
With Michael Waltrip Racing development driver Josh Wise behind the wheel, ESR scored its best finish of the season in its No. 22 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota at Kansas Speedway last weekend. Wise qualified 26th after suffering an electrical problem that was addressed prior to Sunday's race.
Wise drove through the field en route to a team-best 5th place finish on the season. With a solid top-five finish in its back pocket, the ESR No. 22 team turns to this weekend and Winchester Speedway in Indiana.
Returning to the track where he made his ARCA debut in 2006, Wise will once again pilot the No. 22 in hopes of improving on last year's performance that saw him battle overheating problems which led to his exiting the race 100 laps prior to the finish. That debut wasn't the first time that Wise had seen the Winchester racing surface; the two-time USAC National Champion has finished no worse than 6th at the .5 mile track over the course of his career.
While team owner Eddie Sharp was all smiles after last weekend's performance, he also looks toward Winchester as a potential momentum-swinger:
"Overcoming the electrical problems at Kansas and bringing home a top-five was huge for us," said Sharp. "We need to make sure that we bottle up that success and carry it to Winchester. I feel good about it. The team is in high spirits and Josh knows how to get around this place. If we can have the focus and determination that we had at Kansas, then we will really start to hit stride as a team at Winchester."
ARCA Pole Qualifying will take place at 4:15 pm on Friday. The Winchester 200 begins at 1 pm this Sunday. |
