1999 Cup Champ Puts His Money on Underdog Driver as Playoff Stakes Get Brutally Nerving

The NASCAR playoff battle reached its boiling point at the New Hampshire race, with drivers grappling to improve their positions. While most drivers seen on the TV screen were fighting to find a spot in the top 5, Michael McDowell faced his own challenges during the Crayon 301, struggling to break into the top 15.

Unfortunately, the season hasn’t been favorable to him, with only four top-5 finishes in his last ten races. Despite the hurdles, McDowell showed resilience, fighting his way to 13th place in the closing laps. In fact, despite his failures lately, he continues to receive support from esteemed figures like the 1999 NASCAR Cup champion, who thinks McDowell still has the potential to make a comeback.

“Michael McDowell has gotten himself into a really good spot,” says the former race car driver

The Atlanta race brought some disappointment for the Front Row Motorsports driver, who finished fourth instead of second due to the competition from A. J. Allmendinger and Daniel Suárez. However, his battle for the playoff spot in New Hampshire was even more intense than the one in Atlanta. Despite his ups and downs, Michael McDowell managed to rally to 13th place and secure a stage point.

Yet, former NASCAR Cup champion Dale Jarrett continues to believe in McDowell’s performance.

On the latest episode of ‘NASCAR on NBC’ podcast, he said, “I said this past week that Michael McDowell has gotten himself into a really good spot, and he needed to get through the next 3 races—New Hampshire, obviously, a big race for them, and then the next two coming up.”

Jarrett also praised the team’s decent job at the Crayon 301 and emphasized the importance of the upcoming races for their playoff chances.

As Jarrett put it, “I think Michael McDowell’s team did exactly what they wanted immediately; you always want more out of the day, but I think them staying right there and then staying apart from the mix is exactly what they wanted to do and what they needed to do to stay a part of this.”

The Front Row Motorsports crew chief, Travis Peterson, echoed the sentiment, highlighting the next three races as a crucial playoff stretch. As he mentioned to NBC Sports, his team’s goal is to stay within a few points until the Indy road course, where they feel confident about their chances.

Peterson said, “The next four weeks is our playoff stretch.” According to him, the final three races of the regular season provide hope for McDowell’s playoff chances.

“I just want to stay within… five points, 10 points getting to Indy Road Course time and feel like we got them right where we want them.”

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Did McDowell Earn the 13th Spot by Jeopardizing Ryan Preece’s Position?

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After Monday’s Crayon 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Ryan Preece found himself in a real pickle with Michael McDowell following a dramatic on-track incident that completely dashed any hopes of a solid outcome for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver.

In the final stretch of the race, Preece and McDowell were fiercely battling for a spot within the top 15. Unfortunately, McDowell’s reckless move resulted in a collision that sent Preece’s No. 41 Ford Mustang crashing into the outside wall, forcing him to make an unexpected pit stop.

McDowell acknowledged Preece’s justified anger, stating to Dustin Long of NBC Sports, “He has every right to be mad. He pulled a slider on me in three and four and slid up, and I got back underneath him, and when I drove to the bottom on the flat, when I made my downshift, I just didn’t get a good downshift, and I got loose and came up, hit him, and put him in the wall.”

Despite the turmoil, McDowell managed to salvage a respectable 13th-place finish, crossing the finish line on the lead lap for Front Row Motorsports. On the other hand, Preece’s unplanned pit stop led to a disappointing 28th-place finish, with him ending up a lap behind the leaders.

Well, let’s see if Michael McDowell can up his game in the remaining races and secure a spot in the playoffs, just as Dale Jarrett envisions.

Read More: “It Was Stinking Intense”: Michael McDowell Details Effect of Playoffs Desperation on Exhilarating Atlanta Finish