Michael McDowell made his first top start of the season and his seventh overall as he secured the pole position for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. McDowell, who is currently with Spire Motorsports, upset defending champion Joey Logano by a mere 0.015 seconds with a lap time of 28.883 seconds (186.961 mph). His goal was to gain as much grip as possible in Turns 1 and 2 while maintaining speed in the last several bends. Other noteworthy qualifiers were Erik Jones, Kyle Busch, and Austin Cindric, who finished third. Following a good season, McDowell’s outstanding qualifying abilities are once again on display at this event.
The numbers show that
• McDowell finished in 28.883 seconds with a speed of 186.961 mph
• while Logano finished in 28.898 seconds with a speed of 186.864 mph.
Current Situation:
McDowell’s first pole as a Spire Motorsports driver. Austin Cindric, Kyle Busch, and Erik Jones are the next three qualified candidates.
What’s Next
McDowell wants to turn his pole position into a great performance on Sunday as the race draws near, maybe paving the way for his new team to have a competitive season. It will be important to keep an eye on tactics and vehicle performance during the race.
The bottom line
With his strong qualifying showing, Michael McDowell is a strong candidate to win this season, suggesting a bright future for Spire Motorsports and himself.
