FILE - Michael McDowell smiles prior to a NASCAR Cup Series auto race in Watkins Glen, N.Y., Sunday Aug. 20, 2023. McDowell will not return to Front Row Motorsports after this season, he announced Wednesday morning, May 8, 2024. MADISON, Ill. — Michael McDowell completed a lap at 139.241 mph Saturday to earn the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway.
“I am as motivated as I’ve ever been to make sure that we win and make the playoffs, and for so many reasons, right? But more than ever, because I am making a change and I want to finish what we started,” said McDowell, who has spent the past seven seasons with Front Row. Austin Cindric qualified second and Ryan Blaney was third as Fords posted the three fastest times ahead of Sunday’s race. There were five Toyotas in the top 10, including Christopher Bell in fourth, Tyler Reddick in fifth and Denny Hamlin in sixth.
“When it comes to qualifying, you just have to execute your plan. And I planned all week to do that, and I’m just going to execute my plan: right, wrong or indifferent,” McDowell said. “And so I just committed to it. And fortunately, we’re on the right side of it.”