“We had a really good car, just waiting on another caution to make some more adjustments,” said McDowell. “It just so happened that the caution we were waiting on ended up being us”.
McDowell, who was making the eighth ARCA RE/MAX Series start of his career qualified the car fifth on the grid and maintained that position through much of the first half. On lap 54, crew chief Patrick Donahue and the Eddie Sharp Racing Development team serviced the #2 Beck Dodge with four fresh tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment.
After restarting fifth, McDowell made a daring move on lap 75 by using lap traffic to trap the third and fourth place cars. With a quick flick of the wrist, the three-wide excitement ended with McDowell comfortably in third place.
“That was a pretty intense move right there,” said McDowell. “I caught those guys behind the lapped traffic and simply couldn’t wait on them; the leaders were starting to get away.”
While keeping pace with the leaders, McDowell cut a right front tire in the middle of turns one and two on lap 95. |
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Promising top-5 start ends when a cut tire slams the 2 car into the wall at Nashville |
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The Z-Line Designs, Make a Wish, Beck Dodge slammed hard into the outside retaining wall ending the #2 ESR Development Team’s day just 18 laps from the finish.
McDowell finished in the 33rd position.
“What do I have to do to catch a break around here,” said McDowell. “The Z-Line Designs, Make a Wish Beck Dodge is fast everywhere we go. ESR is doing a great job bringing fast racecars to the track, all we need is a little racing luck.”
The next race for McDowell and the #2 Z-Line Designs ESR Beck Dodge is the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 presented by Federated Auto Parts at Salem Speedway in Salem, IN on April 22.
McDowell is now tied for tenth in ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship points, just 5 points out of ninth and 200 points from the lead. |
RACE PREVIEW
McDOWELL READY TO ROCK THE MUSIC CITY
NASHVILLE, TN (April 4, 2007) - One can only imagine ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Michael McDowell's enthusiasm heading into the Nashville ARCA 150 this weekend at the Nashville Superspeedway. The words 'music' and 'racing' are listed as two of his favorite hobbies. It just so happens that he's better at the 'racing' than the 'music'. |
| "I would say that my driving skills are a bit better than my music skills," said McDowell. "The only thing I can play well is the air guitar".
Lately, McDowell is too focused on piloting his Z-Line Designs, Make A Wish, Beck Dodge to take guitar lessons. After a solid Top-10 at the ARCA RE/MAX Series season opener in Daytona, McDowell and his Eddie Sharp Racing Development Team went on a testing binge. Team owner Eddie Sharp prepared McDowell and his teammates for the season ahead with a rigorous testing schedule.
One of those tests came at the Nashville Superspeedway, where ESR set the fastest time according to unofficial ARCA timing and scoring. McDowell uses that as a benchmark for predicting his success at securing Nashville's highly sought after trophy- a unique one-of-a-kind memorable guitar.
"We spent most of our testing focusing on race-runs," said McDowell. "We felt very comfortable in race-trim and feel confident in our speed. We need to qualify in the top-5 and we'll work on getting a guitar from there".
When asked if he will take the time to learn how to play it, McDowell stays cautiously optimistic.
"I'll keep on playing my air guitar, focusing on winning the race first," stated McDowell. "Something tells me I will learn how to play it real quick if I get the chance".
The Nashville ARCA 150 starts at noon on Saturday April 3 at the Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, TN. |
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McDowell looking to qualify in the top five for a shot at the guitar. |
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RACE: Nashville ARCA 150
Date: Sat. Apr. 3, 2007
Track: Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, TN.
Distance: 150 Miles (113 Laps)
Team: Eddie Sharp Racing, Crew Chief- Patrick Donahue
Car History: ESR #115, sister car to ESR #114, the former Chip Ganassi Racing car that carried McDowell to fourth place finish at Iowa Speedway (2006) McFACTS:
• McDowell has four Top-10 finishes in the last five ARCA RE/MAX Series races.
• McDowell sits sixth in the ARCA RE/MAX Series Championship Points standings
• McDowell has never started a race at the Nashville Superspeedway.
• McDowell has spent two full days testing at the Nashville Superspeedway in an Eddie Sharp Racing Development Team Dodge.
• McDowell has logged nearly 500 laps at the Nashville Superspeedway on an ARCA SIM Factory, Adrenaline Corporation computer simulator. |
