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SPORTS

Glendale native McDowell eyes moving up Cup standings

He and the No. 34 team motor into Martinsville this weekend

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team return to the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this Sunday with plenty to race for as the 2023 season comes closing in.

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SPORTS

Glendale native McDowell eyes moving up Cup standings

He and the No. 34 team motor into Martinsville this weekend

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Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team return to the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this Sunday with plenty to race for as the 2023 season comes closing in.

McDowell and the No. 34 team continue their fight for the best finish by Front Row Motorsports in the premier NASCAR Cup Series season. He is hoping to improve from his 16th-place points finish in 2021. The team is on their way as they sit 15th in points and have their sights set on 14th.

“I always enjoy going to Martinsville. It’s a challenging track,” McDowell shared in a press release. “You need grip, you need speed, you need to rotate the car in the turns and then there is the race strategy. Pit road is so difficult and tight. So, execution is critical.

The race gets underway at 11 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 29 in Virginia.

It’s another big weekend for Stage Front VIP, too. They return as McDowell’s primary partner aboard the No. 34 Ford Mustang. The Stage Front VIP program is tailored as an experience for fans to purchase a VIP package that includes joining the No. 34 race team on race day.

You can join the team during the championship race Sunday, Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale. Each package includes an insider’s look at the race team, tour of the hauler, a meet-and-greet with McDowell, garage and pit road access, team merchandise from Stage Front VIP and more. Visit stagefrontvip.com.

Track activity this weekend begins with practice and qualifying on Saturday at 9:35 a.m.

After competing at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, McDowell is 15th in point standings. He comes into Martinsville with 25 previous starts at the track.

“Our short track program has been better, but we’re at the time of the season when everyone has their stuff dialed in,” McDowell stated. “You need to be on top of your game. I know we will be on Sunday.”

McDowell came from out of nowhere to win the Daytona 500 in 2021. NASCAR itself named him one of the 10 biggest surprise winners in Daytona history.

“McDowell had yet to win a Cup race in 357 starts prior to the 2021 Daytona 500,” wrote NASCAR’s Zack Albert, who compiled the list. “That all changed on Feb. 14, when the driver of the Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Ford avoided a last-lap wreck and grabbed the checkered flag — leading only the final lap to nab the victory.”

His earliest racing came 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 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.”

 

 

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