Track: Michigan International Speedway
Race: 22 of 36
Event: Consumers Energy 400
(312 miles, 156 laps)
Michael McDowell
No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Martin Transportation Systems Ford Mustang
Started: 29th
Finished: 28th
Stage One: 32nd
Stage Two: 31st
Stage Three: 28th
Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | MTS (Martin Transportation Systems) Ford Mustang would start 29th in race two of the Michigan International Speedway doubleheader weekend, however had to drop to the rear before taking the green flag as the team needed to go to a backup car after being collected in a late-race incident on Saturday. The first stage would run caution-less and McDowell would go on to take the green- and white-checkered flag from the 32nd position. Under the caution, McDowell noted that his race car was extremely tight and would bring the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | MTS Ford Mustang down pit road for 4 tires, fuel, a packer and trackbar adjustment.
Stage 2 would mimic the first as the 45-lap segment would stay green through its entirety. Halfway through the stage, McDowell would radio to his team to say that the adjustments made to his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | MTS Ford Mustang during the Stage 1 caution had helped to improve the car by roughly 20 percent, and would go on the finish Stage 2 from the 31st position. Under the Stage Break, McDowell would pit for more of the same as Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer made the call for 4 tires, fuel, a trackbar and packer adjustment.
During the final stage of Sunday’s 156-lap NASCAR Cup Series event, the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | MTS Ford Mustang would pit three more times under various cautions to make a variety of adjustments and go on to take the checkered flag in the final race of the Michigan doubleheader weekend from the 28th position.
McDowell on Michigan:
“It was just an overall difficult weekend for our No. 34 team at Michigan. We didn’t unload how we had hoped in race one and then got collected in a late-race incident that forced us to a backup car for today. My guys fought hard on pit road all weekend to try and get our race cars better, and I felt like we were continuously making improvements, but we just ran out of time at the end of the race. I’m extremely thankful to have had the support of Love’s Travel Stops and Martin Transportation Systems this weekend and look forward to having them both back on the car soon. We’ll debrief this week at the shop and then get ready to head to Daytona on Sunday.”
