Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 1.5 Mile Oval
Race: 30 of 36
Event: South Point 400 (400.5 Miles, 267 Laps)
Michael McDowell
No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Delo Ford Mustang
Started: 17th
Finished: 21st
Stage One: 20th
Stage Two: 19th
Stage Three: 21st
Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Delo Ford Mustang took the green flag on Sunday night from the 17th position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. On Lap 25, the yellow flag would be displayed for the Competition Caution. McDowell noted that his Ford Mustang was “loose over the bumps; mostly entry to middle” and would pit for 4 tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. McDowell would run inside of the Top-20 throughout the remainder of the first Stage and go on to take the Stage 1 green-and white-checkered flag from the 20th position. Under caution, Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer made the call for 4 tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment after McDowell noted that his “entry was better,” but his race car was “starting to slide the right front [tire] on exit.”
Shortly after the green flag dropped to begin Stage 2, McDowell came over the radio to say that he wasn’t sure if his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Delo Ford Mustang sustained any damage on the restart, noting that his race car got “plowed.” Shortly after, on Lap 106, Blickensderfer confirmed that there was in fact damage, however McDowell was able to continue his Top-20 run before pitting under green for 4 tires and fuel with roughly 40 Laps remaining in the second stage. McDowell would go on to finish Stage 2 in 19th place. During the Stage Break Caution, the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Delo Ford Mustang came to pit road for 4 tires and fuel as McDowell noted that he was happy with the balance of his race car.
In the final stage of Sunday night’s 400-Mile race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Delo Ford Mustang would continue its Top-20 run. On Lap 191, the caution flag would fly for debris and McDowell would bring his race car to pit road for 4 tires, an air pressure adjustment, a trackbar adjustment and fuel. Green flag racing would resume for roughly 40 more laps before another debris caution would occur, prompting McDowell to pit for 4 tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment. The 7th caution of the night would come on Lap 262 as McDowell would bring his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Delo Ford Mustang to pit road for 4 tires, fuel and trackbar adjustment after noting that his race car was “too tight.” He would go on to take the checkered flag from the 21st position.
McDowell on Las Vegas:
“That was definitely a tough finish to what was a much stronger performance by our No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Delo team all race long. We ran inside of the Top-20 for basically the entire race, getting as high as 5th or 6th at one point; but unfortunately the handful of late-race cautions and multiple restarts just got us shuffled back to where there weren’t enough laps to drive back towards the front. I’d like to thank Love’s Travel Stops and Delo for coming on board with us today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and I’d also like to thank my guys for all of their hard work on pit road. We’ll head home tonight and get ready to head to Talladega next weekend.”
