The last time JTG Daugherty Racing’s Michael McDowell visited Texas Motor Speedway the 24-year-old driver was plucked from his mangled car as he was involved in a spectacular crash during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying for the Samsung 500 last April. Driving in the No. 00 for Michael Waltrip Racing at the time, McDowell dove into Turn 1, lost control due to a broken sway bar and then proceeded to have his car perform eight dramatic barrel rolls before coming to rest. He emerged uninjured from the Sprint Cup Series car – a tribute to NASCAR’s safety enhancements – and after that moment he was thrust into the national spotlight.
In the following weeks, McDowell was featured on NBC’s “The Today Show” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Now running full time in the Nationwide Series, he will compete at TMS for the first time since his crash. He is looking to move past last year’s incident and redeem himself at “The Great American Speedway!” with a solid performance in the O’Reilly 300.
“It’s something that everybody still talks about,” McDowell said. “I feel like going and sitting on the pole and winning the race, and sort of redeeming myself. That’s a big weekend for me. I want to be able to just put all that behind us and change the subject between ‘less catching on fire and flipping’ to ‘we can qualify in the top five and we’re going to challenge for wins this year.’ ”
McDowell understands that it is going to be difficult to shake off the incident, but is aware that a solid finish in the O’Reilly 300 and in the following weeks will go a long way in helping him move past the crash that he is known for.
“Being a young guy in the sport and sort of trying to break in as a regular, it’s tough. You do that by running up front and winning races,” he said. “I feel like every weekend is an opportunity to do that. The easiest way to do that is run top five every weekend.”