McDowell wins first NASCAR Cup Series win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Posted : 14 August 2023

Both Daniel Suárez and Chase Elliott had opportunities to address their playoff uncertainties on Sunday, with both making strong attempts to claim victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s main straight.

However, it was Michael McDowell who tasted victory, dominating the race and securing his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the season. Elliott finished a close second, missing out on a win that would have resolved his playoff concerns. Suárez, who started strong from the pole position, ended up in third place due to a pit-stop mishap that cost him valuable ground.

While Elliott came closest to challenging McDowell's No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford, his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet made smaller, sporadic gains. He remains in a must-win situation to secure a playoff spot, trailing 80 points below the provisional elimination line with only two regular-season races remaining.

Elliott expressed his thoughts, stating, "Just needed to do a little better job... Michael did an outstanding job getting through traffic, and I didn't. Gained a lot of time on him those last couple of laps. Just not quite enough."

After the race, Elliott had a cordial conversation with German driver Mike Rockenfeller, who was making his season debut. Rockenfeller replaced the suspended and released Noah Gragson for Legacy Motor Club. Rockenfeller apologized for potentially slowing Elliott's progress as he pursued McDowell.

Suárez faced a more dramatic setback due to a lengthy pit stop. His No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet encountered trouble when the left-front tire caught the air hose underneath after changing the left-side tires. This required lifting the car again to free the hose.

Despite the challenges, Suárez's team provided encouragement over the communications, urging him to stay focused. Suárez managed to close the gap but ultimately finished 5.750 seconds behind McDowell.

Suárez entered the race with a slight deficit below the playoff cutline but left Indianapolis with a larger gap after McDowell secured a playoff spot. Suárez still has a mathematical chance to make the playoffs with two remaining regular-season events.

Trackhouse founder Justin Marks emphasized Suárez's strong performance and the need to secure a win in the upcoming races to secure a playoff spot. Marks stated, "He has to win now... It's as simple as that now."

McDowell wins first NASCAR Cup Series win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics