Michael McDowell has a chance to change his season in a big way on Sunday.
The driver of the No. 34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse currently sits 23rd in NASCAR Cup Series points, 111 markers outside of the playoffs, but a win in Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway wouldn’t only be a momentum boost, but would also guarantee McDowell a berth in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
The task of winning Sunday’s race became that much easier when McDowell won the pole during Saturday’s qualifying session, laying down a new track record in the process.
“The second round (of qualifying) isn’t new to us this year,” McDowell said, referring to winning three poles in the first 15 weeks of the season. “I’m thankful we were able to make all the right adjustments and give ourselves a great shot of winning the pole. There’s a couple Ford Mustangs up front, so that’s good.”
