Glendale native McDowell motors into Vegas Speedway
Michael McDowell waves to fans in the infield during driver introductions before the NASCAR Daytona 500 Feb. 19, 2024, in Daytona Beach, Florida.
(AP Photo/John Raoux)
The West Coast swing begins for the NASCAR Cup Series and Michael McDowell as the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse heads to the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.
McDowell heads west after an impressive showing at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, capturing his first career pole and finishing eigth place. His 1.5 average starting position is currently tied for first with Joey Logano and he will be making his 220th start with Front Row Motorsports, the most Cup starts in team history.
“Looking ahead to this weekend at Las Vegas and with this group, I’m confident that we can get a top 10 at this track and keep building momentum,” McDowell shared in a press release. “We had a really fast car at Atlanta, and we feel that our Ford Mustang Dark Horse has been solid. There isn’t doubt that we’re going to have speed and make the best race calls. So, yeah, I feel good heading into Las Vegas and getting another solid result.”
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The West Coast swing begins for the NASCAR Cup Series and Michael McDowell as the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse heads to the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.
McDowell heads west after an impressive showing at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, capturing his first career pole and finishing eigth place. His 1.5 average starting position is currently tied for first with Joey Logano and he will be making his 220th start with Front Row Motorsports, the most Cup starts in team history.
“Looking ahead to this weekend at Las Vegas and with this group, I’m confident that we can get a top 10 at this track and keep building momentum,” McDowell shared in a press release. “We had a really fast car at Atlanta, and we feel that our Ford Mustang Dark Horse has been solid. There isn’t doubt that we’re going to have speed and make the best race calls. So, yeah, I feel good heading into Las Vegas and getting another solid result.”
Track activity will begin with practice and qualifying at noon on Saturday, March 2. The 400-mile event will take place at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 3 and will be televised live on FOX.
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.”
McDowell calls Phoenix Raceway, at 7602 Jimmie Johnson Drive in Avondale, his home track.
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