Track: Kansas Speedway, 1.5 Mile Tri-Oval
Race: 33 of 36
Event: Hollywood Casino 400 (400.5 Miles, 267 Laps)
Michael McDowell
No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Prime Inc. Ford Mustang
Started: 26th
Finished:19th
Stage One: 27th
Stage Two: 19th
Stage Three: 19th
It was a chilly Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway when Michael McDowell and his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Prime Inc. Ford Mustang hit the track for 267 Laps. McDowell took the green flag from the 26th position and would be scored in 24th at Competition Caution on Lap 27. Under caution, McDowell told his team that “the front end turns good; I just need more to lean on on the right rear … wind is pretty strong and the track is starting to tighten up.” He would pit for 4 tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. Once racing resumed, McDowell noted that his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Prime Inc. Ford Mustang was still “a little bit too free on the way in … center-off, I need more to lean on, right rear;” and would go on to finish Stage 1 from the 27th position. During the Stage 1 Caution, Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer made the call for 4 tires, fuel, an added spring rubber and a wedge adjustment.
Halfway through the second stage, McDowell came over the radio to say that his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Prime Inc. Ford Mustang was “a little bouncy in the front” and “built free on the long run.” Shortly after, green flag pit stops would begin but McDowell would stay on track longer than most of the field and advanced his position to as high as 2nd before Blickensderfer called him in to pit on Lap 143. Just as McDowell was getting ready to enter pit road, the caution flag would fly and McDowell would make an evasive right turn to avoid pitting and stay on track to hold on to 9th place. Under caution, the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Prime Inc. Ford Mustang came to pit road for 4 tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment. McDowell would go on take the Stage 2 green- and white-checkered flag from the the 19th position. Under the Stage 2 caution, McDowell would pit for 4 tires, fuel and wedge adjustment, however an uncontrolled tire would send the No. 34 to the rear of the field to take the Stage 3 green flag.
In the early laps of Stage 3, McDowell would make a handful of passes to advance his position to 22nd before the caution flag would fly on Lap 197, to which McDowell would pit for 4 tires, fuel and added grille tape. On Lap 220, the second caution of the stage would occur and McDowell would be called back to pit road for 4 tires and fuel. In the closing laps of Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400, McDowell would race his No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops | Prime Inc. Ford Mustang into the Top-20 and take the checkered flag from the 19th position at Kansas Speedway.
McDowell on Kansas:
“It was definitely a long day for us here at Kansas. We didn’t start off that great, but Drew and everybody on this Love’s Travel Stops team did a really good job of getting our race car faster near the end of the race and we were able to make up some spots and bring home a Top-20 finish. It was a decent day, but we definitely had higher expectations, for sure. It was just really nice to get a decent finish, as the last few weeks have been pretty rough for us. I’d like to thank. Love’s Travel Stops and Prime Inc. for coming on board today. I’m excited to head back to Texas Motor Speedway next weekend with Love’s and hopefully keep up the momentum.”
