Berlin: Michael McDowell race report

McDowell inches closer to point lead with runner-up finish
Arizona native scores fifth-straight top-ten finish, fifth pole of 2007

MARNE, MI (July 10, 2007) - If Michael McDowell were in the entertainment business, his propensity for hatching out the same plot over and over would render him jobless. Fortunately for the Arizona native, he's in the racing business and consistency pays well.

McDowell scored his fifth ARCA SIM Factory Pole Award of 2007, led the most laps at the series' stop at Berlin Raceway, and came home with a 2nd place finish that propelled him to 3rd in the ARCA RE/MAX Series point standings.

His pole win was a result of a 17.604 second lap, which he used to lead the field to green and lead the race's first 41 laps. While he had the dominant car for the entire 200 lap race, Brian Keselowski put on new tires and re-started 4th with 15 laps. McDowell's No. 2 Z-Line Designs / Make-A-Wish / Beck Dodge was on an old set of Hoosier tires and unable to hold off Keselowski's final charge. Keselowski won and McDowell settled for 2nd place, consequently moving up two spots, to 3rd place, in the ARCA point standings.

Although disappointed with the outcome, McDowell was pleased with the solid showing:

"This was a tough track. The car was never straight and you're never fully on the throttle. It was definitely a different race," explained McDowell. "We got caught with old tires and lost to a strong driver. Fortunately, we didn't take ourselves out of this (race). Everyone at Eddie Sharp Racing did a fantastic job this weekend, we're closing in on the point lead, and I couldn't be happier with our progress."

McDowell remains confident that ESR can continue its pursuit for not only wins, but a championship:

"We're in it. That's all anyone can ask. We'll continue to race for wins and let the points fall where they fall. So far we've been competitive at every track and I don't see us changing our strategy of focusing on the win every single race."

-credit: mmcdowell.com