Top Dog: Michael McDowell
Kansas Speedway proved to be difficult and caution heavy in the closing stage of Sunday’s (May 5) AdventHealth 400, and for many of the underdogs, the carnage ended up costly.
However, others were able to rebound and prevail through the chaos that unfolded at Kansas, one being the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang Dark Horse of Michael McDowell.
McDowell was fast out of the gates, transferring to the second round of qualifying and starting in eighth. Although he slid out of the opportunity of stage points, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series winner would stay within the top 15 for most of stage one and two.
However, to start stage three, he fell further down the order and ended up being caught up in a crash with Austin Cindric and Bubba Wallace. McDowell was t-boned in his right door, sending the Love’s Truck Stop Ford spinning.
Although McDowell was heavily damaged, a caution on lap 192 for a spin by Harrison Burton allowed McDowell to service the car and make further repairs.
What benefited the Phoenix, Ariz. native was a quick caution on lap 198 for a spin by Joey Logano sent the rest of the field minus teammate Todd Gilliland down pit road to ready up for a fuel mileage battle. The strategy would play perfectly for McDowell as he would restart next to his damaged compatriot in Wallace.
Although McDowell would spend time running in the top five, he eventually fell back to bottom of the top 15 before another timely caution for Kyle Busch spinning helped the No. 34 team.
After final pit stops, McDowell restarted sixth on the bottom, and while the closest finish in NASCAR history happened ahead, McDowell, with a clobbered right door, crossed 10th for his first top 10 at Kansas.
Notable Underdog Runs
Although Legacy Motor Club’s boss Jimmie Johnson crashed early, John Hunter Nemechek and Corey Heim (filling in for Erik Jones) lined up on the inside of the fourth and fifth rows on the final restart. Heim spun out of turn four while Nemechek was able to cross as the second-best underdog on the day, finishing 13th.
Gilliland made noise by being the only driver to stay out before the long green-flag stretch in stage three, and initially, he held some of the faster drivers at bay. The final caution allowed Gilliland to get the fuel he need to get to the end, and after the final restart, Gilliland crossed the line 14th, the second FRM Ford in the top 15.
Justin Haley restarted…
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