Top Dog: Michael McDowell
Talladega. It is the racetrack where either dreams come true or nightmares become reality. It is 188 laps of intensity, aggression and increased heart rate in anticipation of the Big One.
It also may just be a place where the underdog always has their day.
At the 2022 YellaWood 500 (Oct. 2), continued side-by-side action and strong pushes continued to keep the Big One lurking around every turn. However, it never came, a safe race helping assuage increasing concerns surrounding driver safety.
The wild unpredictability of the Talladega draft also opened the door for another underdog win there. But this time? A 2021 Daytona 500 Cinderella story came up just short in his bid for Cup win number two.
Indeed, Michael McDowell has become one of the more renowned superspeedway drivers in the field despite piloting underfunded rides for most of his career. That was on display once again, as McDowell’s third-place finish mirrored that of the 2021 Talladega spring race.
After finishing outside the top 20 in the first two stages, McDowell came to play as the laps wound down. As NBC Sports commentator Dale Earnhardt Jr. acknowledged, the Fords appeared to be the best pushers in the field. McDowell certainly backed that up, his bright yellow No. 34 becoming a fixture at the front during the closing stages.
After saving his equipment and hanging toward the back for most of the final stage, McDowell played his hand with just over 20 laps remaining. Cracking the top-five contenders, the duo of McDowell pushing Erik Jones on the inside line became the top’s biggest threat, constantly swapping hands for the lead like a game of chess.
With six laps to go, Daniel Hemric experienced engine issues and stalled on pit road, bringing out the caution. McDowell was scored in third and lined up as the second car on the bottom for the final restart. Who would he push? Fellow Ford driver and the dominant one in the final stage, Ryan Blaney.
For one and three-quarters of the final two laps, the pairing did everything right from start to finish. The only issue? A slight gap from McDowell to Blaney, due in part to the drivers behind the No. 34, allowed race winner Chase Elliott to shut the door. One last heave from McDowell to Blaney came up just short as the Front Row Motorsports driver settled for third.
RETWEET to congratulate @chaseelliott for winning at @TALLADEGA! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/PpuNIoSHYp
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October…
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