Chicagoland: Michael McDowell qualifying report

McDowell looks to rebound in Joliet
ARCA rookie will start on the pole at Chicagoland Speedway

JOLIET, IL (September 7, 2007) - Michael McDowell took a hard hit in his last ARCA RE/MAX Series outing at DuQuoin-both literally and figuratively.

McDowell literally hit the wall-after blowing a left rear tire on lap 57, ending his evening. The Arizona native walked away from the accident with some soreness but took a metaphorical hit in the championship chase, falling to 200 points behind leader series leader Frank Kimmel.

When McDowell rolls his No. 2 Z-Line Designs / Make- A-Wish / Beck Dodge onto the Chicagoland Speedway surface this weekend, that hit at DuQuoin will be gone from his memory. His immediate thoughts will be on rebounding at a track, a smooth, state-of-the-art 1.5 mile paved oval similar to Kentucky Speedway, the venue in which McDowell scored his first win

The ARCA rookie is eager to finish out the season on a high note:

"We encountered some bad luck on the dirt last weekend, but now we're happy to go to a track like Joliet where we feel we're at our strongest," commented McDowell. "I think this is a place where we can go, use our race strategy, and really put on a good show."

With four races remaining in the 2007 ARCA season, McDowell knows that 200 points is a well of a deficit, but he remains hopeful that he and Eddie Sharp Racing can find a way to prevail:

"We'll be competitive at every track. Talladega will be a crap-shoot, but it'll be that way for every driver there. It's been an amazing year for us and I'm looking forward to seeing how these last four (races) play out."

In qualifying on Friday afternoon, McDowell qualified his Dodge on the pole, earning his eighth ARCA SIM Factory Pole Award of the season with a lap of 30.54. This comes after pacing the day's practice session as well:

"Last year I spun out during qualifying, so I suppose this means I've improved," joked McDowell. "I'm proud of this team for unloading fast and making sure we get off to the best possible start for tomorrow's race."

-credit: www.mmcdowell.com