Michael McDowell Consistently Fails to Get Finishes After Drafting Track Poles
2 months agoMichael McDowell's qualifying dominance on drafting tracks continued as he won the pole for this afternoon's YellaWood 500 at Talladega, his fifth straight pole on this track type and sixth this season, the most of any driver. However, he has struggled to maintain his position in those races as his average finish after winning the pole on this track type is 22.75. McDowell made 12 passes for the lead in his previous four drafting track races where he won the pole and was passed 15 times, which means he is more likely to be passed than remain up front. Admittedly, he crashed while making a failed block while leading at both Talladega and Daytona, so he'll probably have the speed to run up front, but given his failed blocks this year, it's hard to imagine him making the right move to actually win.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference