NEWTON, IA (June 4, 2007) – One has to figure that Eddie Sharp Racing and driver Michael McDowell are used to adversity by now. So what if the team struggled a bit at Iowa Speedway? Adversity and their subsequent comeback were almost premeditated.
McDowell and his No. 2 Z-Line Designs / Mission Residential / Beck Dodge suffered from a tight condition in practice leading up to the Prairie Meadows 250, the ninth race of the ARCA RE/MAX Series season. While the team was low on the practice chart, their plans for a comeback were calculated. The team corrected the problem prior to qualifying where McDowell wheeled a lap of 23.999 around the .875-mile oval, good enough for 7th on the starting grid.
At the drop of the green flag, McDowell was a contender. By lap 84, the No. 2 Dodge was atop the scoring pylon as the leader, the first of 74 laps led by the former STAR Mazda Series champion.
Green flag pit stops later in the race trapped McDowell one lap down; however, he managed to get that lap back with 60 to go in the race and put him in position to contend for the win. McDowell thundered through the field from the tail-end of the lead lap and, like his performance at Toledo Speedway two weeks ago, sliced and diced through the competition with ease. |
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...thundered through the field from the tail-end of the lead lap and, as at Toledo two weeks ago, sliced and diced through the competition with ease.
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He was running 2nd with the checkered flag in his site and pulled side-by-side with Frank Kimmel, only to fall short of the win by three feet. The runner-up finish was McDowell’s best showing of the year.
While having to settle for 2nd, McDowell was pleased about the team’s overall showing on the day:
“This is awesome for ESR and the whole Z-Line Designs / Mission Residential / Beck team, said McDowell. “We struggled in practice but we kept our heads up, found the problem, and were able to contend for the win. I can’t thank my crew guys enough. They worked their tails off today. We came up about three feet short of our first win but I feel great about what we accomplished here in Iowa.”
Up Next: Mighty Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania for the Pocono 200. Tune into SPEED for the event on Saturday, June 9 and enjoy a special pre-race feature on McDowell. |
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"...I want to leave no doubt. Five races, one championship. Domination. That’s how good I believe we are and those goals are realistic... " - Michael McDowell |
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MOORESVILLE, NC (May 31, 2007) -- Michael McDowell is well aware of highs and lows. It’s only eight races deep into the 2007 season but the well-spoken rookie has weathered a thunderstorm full of bad luck and learning experiences in his first full year in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Prior to racing his No. 2 Z-Line Designs / Make-A-Wish / Beck Dodge in this Saturday’s Prairie Meadows 250 at Iowa Speedway, McDowell offered some reflections on his 2007 campaign thus far:
What are your initial thoughts on the 2007 season up to this point? You’re 6th in the point standings. Do you still consider yourself in the title hunt?
“The season has been bittersweet for us. Yeah, we’ve been running well. As a matter of fact, I think we’ve have the most dominant cars. We have the speed, we’re winning poles like crazy, and we’ve led more laps than anyone. The win is what has eluded us, but it hasn’t been because of self destruction. It’s been stupid luck—something that exists in racing and unfortunately, the thing that has single-handedly destroyed some amazing runs.”
“We’re just now coming up on June, so being in 6th, we’re only in a little bit of a hole but we’re still in the title hunt. When we’re on our game, no one can touch us. Everyone on our team and in the ESR shop is committed to winning this championship. That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
The “Toledo Incident” with teammate Ken Butler III received a lot of play on Speed Channel and has been the talk of the ARCA garage ever since it occurred. You’ve had two weeks to digest the situation, how do you feel about it now?
“I’m over it. He called and we talked about it a little bit, but as of now, it’s in the past. Obviously, no one would wish for that to happen; however it did, and now it doesn’t matter. At this point, Iowa matters and the rest of the season matters. There is so much that we can do that we haven’t accomplished. We can win races and we can win this championship, so we’re focusing on the present and the future.”
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What are those goals you wish to accomplish by season’s end?
“I don’t just want to win a race, I want five (races). I want to win five races and take home this championship. This team is plenty good and we have been fast everywhere we’ve been, so I want to leave no doubt. Five races, one championship. Domination. That’s how good I believe we are and those (goals), I feel, are realistic opportunities that lay in front of us.”
This weekend is the pristine Iowa Speedway. Last year, you finished 4th. Can you top yourself this year?
“I really think we’re in good shape for Iowa. We participated in the Hoosier tire test, we have our notes from last year, and we’ve been solid at every track we’ve visited. This is the type of track that a race car driver can have fun with. The folks with the speedway and Rusty Wallace did an outstanding job in the design process and the finished product is simply remarkable. Can we win? Absolutely. It would be a sweet win at a great race track.”
For more information on Michael McDowell, visit www.mmcdowell.com.
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| Prairie Meadows 250 |
| Date: |
Saturday, June 2, 2007 |
| Track: |
Iowa Speedway (Newton, IA) |
| Race Distance: |
250 Laps (168 miles) |
| Team: |
Eddie Sharp Racing |
| Crew Chief: |
Patrick Donahue |
| Practice is scheduled from 11:30-1:30 pm central Saturday, June 2 followed by SIM Factory Pole Award Qualifying at 4:00 pm. The Prairie Meadows 250 is LIVE on SPEED at 9:00 pm eastern. |
McFACTS:
> With his pole win at Toledo, McDowell has now collected a series-high four (4) ARCA SIM Factory Pole Awards in 2007.
> The four poles won in 2007 have put McDowell in a tie for 7th on the all-time list for poles won in the ARCA RE/MAX Series.
> While he is currently 6th in the ARCA standings, McDowell is 2nd in the ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie of the Year standings
> McDowell currently leads all ARCA competitors in laps led (184).
> Last year, McDowell made his maiden start at Iowa Speedway, finishing 4th in the very same car he’ll be running this weekend. |
