Michael McDowell's championship battle ends in six car pile up.
TALLADEGA, AL (October 8, 2007) – While a mathematical long shot for the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series championship, Michael McDowell was confident that he and Eddie Sharp Racing could pull off the upset; however, he knew the 250-mile race from Talladega Superspeedway would be a metaphorical roulette wheel. Unfortunately, the wheel didn’t spin in McDowell’s favor.
After qualifying eleventh with a lap of 52.394 around the 2.66 mile high-banked tri-oval, McDowell didn’t expect a dominating performance but he did look forward to an action-packed Friday afternoon with the promise of a top-ten finish.
Running three- and sometimes four-wide, McDowell climbed into the race’s top-ten prior to pitting on the in the race’s first yellow-flag stop. Upon exiting pit road, McDowell and fellow competitor Mark Thompson collided, putting a hole in the nose of the No. 2 Lotame / Make-A-Wish Dodge.
The Eddie Sharp Racing pit crew patched up the hole and McDowell’s familiar blue and silver Dodge was back on the prowl. After running as high as seventh, McDowell settled into the large lead draft pack before disaster struck. The No. 31 car of Tim McCreadie made contact with McDowell, causing damage to the left quarter panel, slicing open the left rear tire.
The blown tire caused McDowell to lose control, prompting a multi-car accident that included teammate Josh Wise.
He was safe from injury but his aspirations for a point championship were broken. With a 33rd place finish resulting from a DNF, McDowell is now mathematically eliminated from contending for the series title.
“Obviously, this isn’t the result we wanted,” said McDowell. “(McCreadie) got under me and cut the tire down and that was that. I hate it for the whole ESR team that I couldn’t win them this championship—they deserved it.
“We have one last race at Toledo and if my memory serves me, we have some unfinished business there. We’ll shoot for the track record in qualifying and win the race so we can end the season on top.”
Up Next: Michael McDowell and Eddie Sharp Racing will make their final start together in the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series finale at Toledo Speedway in Ohio.
| ESR TALLADEGA RESULTS |
| POS |
NO |
DRIVER |
TEAM & CAR |
LAPS |
STATUS |
| 7 |
21 |
Scott Speed |
Red Bull Toyota |
94 |
Running |
| 33 |
2 |
Michael McDowell |
Lotame-Make A Wish Dodge |
72 |
Accident |
| 35 |
22 |
Josh Wise |
NAPA-ESR
Development Toyota |
72 |
Accident |
|
Scott Speed impresses at first day of school.
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“Are you sure this is working?”
-- Scott Speed making his first attempt to draft
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TALLADEGA, AL (October 8, 2007) – Scott Speed enrolled in Drafting 101 at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday and used all 250
miles to graduate his #21 Red Bull Toyota in a 7th place finish at the ARCA/Re-Max 250. Rolling off the grid in 7th position, Speed radioed his crew to “Get ‘er done,” in a valiant effort
to reclaim his States-side track smack and show that he means business. Speed quickly
worked his way up to 3rd but found himself shuffled to 14th in no time. Dabbling between 8th
and 14th position, Speed advanced back to 3rd by lap 50. Spotter Tim Fedewa soon advised
him, “When you’re running alone that car shoots like a bullet and you can pass four to five
cars.”
Scott’s response, “Well we’ll just have to get this thing in the lead then,” to which Tim
responded, “See what you can do about that.” Speed took Tim’s advice to heart and for the
duration of the race worked the No. 21 Red Bull Toyota around in the draft running as far up
as 3rd and only dropping back as far as 15th. A late wreck on lap 87 saw the field check up
and Speed’s nose was slightly damaged after contact with the rear bumper in front of him.
Speed can take his lumps, and emerged only to step up his game for the final four laps
advancing 6 positions to 7th where he held on strong to take the No. 21 Red Bull Toyota to
the checkered flag. RADIO CHATTER
Speed to Spotter: “It’s a bit hard to hear you because it’s so quiet in this car (sarcastic), so
can you talk a little louder?”
Speed to Crew: “Do we have enough fuel to make it to the end of the race?”
Crew: “Within about one lap.”
Speed: “Ok, then I’ll conserve the shit out of this fuel.”
FREE QUOTES
Scott Speed, No. 21 driver – “I had a blast out there! This type of racing just couldn’t be
more different than Formula 1. In Formula 1, it’s all about instant reactions. With stock cars,
it’s more of a chess game of figuring out what to do and where to go with your car. My strong
suit was at the very beginning and the very end of the race, when everyone went
everywhere. I definitely was able to pick off guys. But when everyone was in a train,
I definitely didn't have a good feel of what was better, the outside or the inside
drafting lines.”
Latest News: Scott Speed to run full 2008 ARCA Re/MAX Series season in the No.
2 Red Bull Toyota Camry with Eddie Sharp Racing. |
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"Crunch time is now..." -Michael McDowell |
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ARCA’s connection to Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama dates back to the late ‘60’s, building a collection of winners that has forever been cemented into the series’ storied history. The ARCA RE/MAX Series, once known as the ARCA Talladega Super Car Series, has seen drivers such as Mark Martin, Red Farmer, and Mike Wallace pilot to victory lane. The late Davey Allison and Grant Adcox grabbed four and five wins respectively before entering NASCAR waters.
The controlled chaos on the 2.66 mile high-banked tri-oval has been a rite of passage for aspiring young drivers. Michael McDowell will be no exception.
McDowell will bring his No. 2 Lotame / Make-A-Wish Dodge to the second-to-last race on the 2007 ARCA circuit in hopes of upping the ante on last year’s fifth place performance; however, this year’s ARCA RE/MAX 250 will be different. McDowell has more than a single race on his mind:
“Crunch time is now,” said McDowell, who currently sits second in the ARCA point standings. “There is a lot that can happen and a lot that will happen at Talladega. We’re still in this points fight and this place has been known to shake up championship battles. I’m hoping that everything falls our way this weekend because whether we’re on our ‘A-game’ or not, we’ll need a shot of good luck.”
He’s not kidding. Known for multi-car melees and high numbers for lead changes, Talladega could be the x-factor in McDowell’s pursuit of point leader Frank Kimmel. Kimmel currently holds a 140 point lead on the ARCA Rookie of the Year candidate.
Whether he comes away with the title or not, 2007 has been a head-turning year for McDowell. A former winner in the Rolex Sports Car Series, McDowell has acclimated to stock car racing to the tune of three wins and leads the series in top-five finishes (ten), poles (eight), and laps led (656). Still, McDowell is hesitant to throw up a white flag on his championship aspirations:
“It’s going to be tough to pull off the championship with Frank (Kimmel) being as consistent as he is, but why not us?,” McDowell continued. “Eddie Sharp Racing is more than deserving of a championship trophy and these next two races could propel us to the top. We’re going to come out, do our thing, and let the pieces fall into place.”
McFACTS:
> In his first career race at Talladega Superspeedway, McDowell finished fifth behind Frank Kimmel, Juan Pablo Montoya, and two current NASCAR Busch Series competitiors.
> In addition to being 140 points out of the ARCA Series point lead, McDowell leads the Rookie of the Year standings by 40 points.
> After the race at Salem Speedway, McDowell’s crew chief, Patrick Donahue, assumed the reigns of point leader in the Cometic Engine Mechanic award standings.
> This February, McDowell earned a tenth place finish at Daytona International Speedway, the sister track to Talladega.
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RACE: |
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| ARCA RE/MAX 250 |
| Date: |
Friday, October 5, 2007 |
| Track: |
Talladega Superspeedway (Talladega, AL) |
| Race Distance: |
94 Laps (250 miles) |
| Team: |
Eddie Sharp Racing |
| Crew Chief: |
Patrick Donahue |
| Practice and qualifying take place on Thursday and the race on Friday. The green flag drops at 4pm local time! |
2007 ARCA RE/MAX SERIES DRIVER POINT STANDINGS
After Event #21, Eddie Gilstrap Motors 200,
Salem Speedway, Salem IN, 9-15-07 |
| POS |
NAME |
POINTS |
STARTS |
WINS |
TOP-5 |
TOP-10 |
| 1 |
Frank Kimmel |
5030 |
21 |
3 |
9 |
15 |
| 2 |
Michael McDowell |
4890 |
21 |
3 |
10 |
14 |
Lotame to ride shotgun with Michael McDowell and Eddie Sharp Racing
Eddie Sharp Racing and driver Michael McDowell will have a new partner this weekend when the familiar No. 2 Dodge takes to the track at Talladega.
Lotame, a publisher of media technology that tracks online audiences, allowing for more meaningful online marketing messages and higher generated ad revenue, will adorn McDowell’s machine for Friday afternoon’s ARCA RE/MAX 250.
“We’re looking forward to being a part of the Eddie Sharp Racing team for one of the most exciting races of the season and are proud to be a part of Michael’s chase for the ARCA championship,” said Lotame President and Founder Andrew Monfried.
“I’m happy that Lotame has come on board with us for Talladega,” said McDowell. “I know the Talladega race is one of the most-watched ARCA races of the year, so hopefully we can run up front all day and put it in victory lane for them.”
Lotame was founded with the sole mission of establishing and building social media as a viable and scalable revenue stream for publishers. Lotame product lines include Lotame Crowd Control, its flagship technology, which enables publishers to lift revenue by aggregating social variables such as social usage profiles, community interactions, and behavior patterns to identify niche groups for enhanced guided marketing capabilities.
For more information on Lotame, visit www.lotame.com |
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