Glendale native NASCAR driver Michael McDowell cruised to a Top 10 finish at the race circuit’s inaugural street racing event – the Grant Park 220 in Chicago on Sunday.

McDowell placed seventh overall, and is now 18th in championship points standings.

Starting in sixth, McDowell and the No. 34 Chicago Pneumatic Ford Mustang were destined for a solid run on the 2.2-mile street course. He wheeled his way to fifth to close out Stage 1 in the wet.

With track conditions improved, the 34 team elected to put slicks on the Chicago Pneumatic Mustang, and McDowell finished Stage 2 in fifth. NASCAR made the call to shorten the race by 25 laps, forcing teams to race aggressively in the final stage of the race.

“What a wild race – starting in a decent amount of rain and then drying out,” McDowell shared in a statement. “Even when it was dry though, there were wet spots which is pretty crazy. Unfortunately, with the race being shortened, our strategy didn’t play out like we wanted. So, we ended up restarting like 18th there. Happy to pass a lot of cars to get back there, but we just didn’t quite have enough to get to the front.”

McDowell cut his racing teeth up in north Glendale as a kid.

“Friday and Saturday nights during the summer, practicing and racing at PKRA (Phoenix Kart Racing Association),” he told the Glendale Independent of the track located at 22500 43rd Ave. E, when asked about his favorite memories growing up in Glendale. “It was a fun time in life, racing with my family and our friends. It was a great community out there and it was a special time.”

He calls ISM Raceway, 7602 Jimmie Johnson Drive, Avondale, his home track.

McDowell is in his sixth season with Front Row Motorsports, having joined the team prior to the 2018 season. In his 358th career start, McDowell scored his first Cup Series win in the 2021 season-opening Daytona 500.

His team returns to the Atlanta Motor Speedway next Sunday. The Quaker State 400 is scheduled for 4 p.m. on the USA Network.