Former Toledo Speedway Winner Michael McDowell Wins Daytona 500
Former Toledo Speedway Winner Michael McDowell Wins Daytona 500
Michael McDowell, who won the ARCA Menards Series race at Toledo Speedway in 2007, scored an underdog victory in the rain-delayed Daytona 500. McDowell, driving for Eddie Sharp, led a race-high 166 laps en route to a dominant win in the 2007 season finale at the Glass City oval. He finished about a third of a second - or about five car lengths - ahead of runner-up finisher James Buescher. The win was redemption for McDowell, who was knocked out of the lead by his teammate Ken Butler III in the spring race at Toledo leaving him seventh at the finish after leading 59 laps.
McDowell has four career ARCA Menards Series wins, all in 2007: Kentucky, Pocono, Chicagoland, and Toledo. He finished second in the series championship standings behind Frank Kimmel.
McDowell took the lead in the final seconds of the Daytona 500, slipping past leader Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski as the two Team Penske drivers collided and crashed in turn three. The caution flag waved, locking the field in position with McDowell in the lead. It is his first career Cup Series victory.
The ARCA Menards Series returns to Toledo Speedway on May 22 for the Toledo ARCA 200.
Congratulations Michael, from everyone at Toledo Speedway and ARCA!
Congrats to Michael McDowell and his Daytona 500-winning team. One of my favorite aspects about going to the races at Toledo is the chance to meet racers as they're climbing the ladder of success such as McDowell and many others-Rand has an amazing collection of images of those ascending racers-me not so many but it's growing. Oddly enough the 500's TV coverage missed a detail I saw as obvious. While the media was heralding the new 23-11 Team of Hamlin, Jordan and Wallace, they didn't seem to realize that McDowell won in a Ford numbered #34; the same combination Wendell Scott ran for years- a Ford #34.