"We’re not in panic mode" - Michael McDowell not letting his missed victory chance at Talladega deter his approach to win more NASCAR races
Despite back-to-back non-finishes in Texas and Talladega, Front Row Motorsports veteran Michael McDowell is unfazed in his quest to secure his first win of the season.
2024 has been an erratic season for the 39-year-old Michael McDowell. Coming off his career-best NASCAR Cup Series campaign in 2023, the No. 34 Ford Mustang driver clinched the first two Busch Light Pole victories of his career in ten races so far.
However, despite his qualifying success, McDowell has failed to replicate his form in the main races. The FRM driver has an average finish of 23.9, with 3 DNFs to his name. The last two races in Texas and Talladega followed similar themes for the veteran driver who lost control and ended his outings prematurely whilst challenging for the race lead.
The GEICO 500 Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway saw McDowell make contact with Brad Keselowski in the final lap which sent him spinning and causing a massive chain of crashes that engulfed numerous drivers.
Regardless of his recent finishes, Michael McDowell remains undeterred as he approaches upcoming races in the season. McDowell explained (via Racing America):
"We're not in panic mode. The points look bad, and we know that. Over the last couple of weeks we have had 30+ finishes, wreckings and DNFs. There's still a lot of racing left, there's a lot of opportunity to make up points."
High risk, high reward is the way forward for Michael McDowell
A two-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner, McDowell emphasized the significance of prioritizing victory over conservative finishes. He explained (via Racing America):
"The way I look at it is, you win a race, and it's 2000 points. That's what happens when you get to the playoffs and it resets and you get 2000 points. Trying to run 3rd or 4th isn't going to cut it."
A similar approach last season saw Michael McDowell win the 2023 Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The victory sealed a playoff berth for the veteran driver for the first time in his career. He further explained:
"So we need to win races, we need to put ourselves in positions to do that. We're doing that, and eventually it's gonna work out."
After 10 races in the 2024 campaign, Michael McDowell has 157 points to his name. The Front Row Motorsports driver is ranked 26th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, courtesy of two top-10 finishes this season.