Dover: Michael McDowell preview

McDOWELL LOOKS TO MASH THE MONSTER MILE

Dover, Del. - Rolling up on the Dover International Speedway can be a bit intimidating. Michael McDowell says the big concrete 'monster' greeting guests isn't half as intimidating as the big concrete 'monster mile' greeting the drivers.

"The 'Monster Mile' is a bit more scary than the monster statue out front, for sure. I was a little intimidated the first time I came here in the cup car. We ran decent, but most importantly, I learned a lot about racing the track and being comfortable in the seat. Dover is most like a high speed rollercoaster ride", said McDowell.

While McDowell describes the Dover's Monster Mile as a rollercoaster ride, his 2009 season can be summed up that way as well. After reeling off 4 top-15 finishes in a row at Nashville, Phoenix, Talladega and Richmond, the racing luck ran out. Electrical problems ended a top-10 run at Darlington and an unfortunate yellow caught McDowell 2 laps down at Charlotte. After two races of dips, McDowell is bringing optimism and a new sponsor to Dover.

"We're taking a great piece to Dover with a new sponsor, ConstructionJobs.com. It's a track I have some laps on and

I'm sure we can post some results for the speed that we've gained in recent weeks", said McDowell.

McFacts:

2009: has two top-10 finishes in 2009 (Vegas, Richmond); Four top-15 finishes (Nashville, Phoenix, Talladega, Richmond)

Dover Stats: 2 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Start, 2008: Start- 32, Finish- 30, Start- 28, Finish- 29.

McQuote:

"Dover is one of the most intimidating places we run. You drop into the corners which gives the sensation of a loose-in car condition. You carry so much speed through and off the corners that it's easy to over-drive the car in and lose control over the drop-in."

McCar:

The No. 47 Construction Jobs.com JTG Daugherty Racing team will compete with chassis #50 in this weekend's Helluva Good! 200. This car was last seen at Darlington where finished 33rd due to electrical issues.

-credit: MMcDowell.com