McDowell holds on for Xfinity victory
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Michael McDowell pointed his No. 2 Chevrolet against a concrete barrier at the finish line, burning his tires in a smoky celebration.
Finally, a late lead didn’t disappear for McDowell at Road America.
McDowell edged teammate Brendan Gaughan by 0.534 second in overtime on an overcast, sometimes misty Saturday afternoon at the sprawling road course for his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory.
Brennan Poole was third, while pole-sitter Alex Tagliani finished seventh in the 194mile race.
After five career topfive starts at Road America, McDowell has the ending that he sorely wanted.
“Today was a great day to check it off” the list, said McDowell, a regular on NASCAR’s top Sprint Cup circuit.
McDowell finished second in 2012. He dominated most of the race the previous year before losing the lead on the second of three attempts at a green-white-checkered overtime finish.
McDowell started watching video of that race Friday night before deciding to turn it off.
“I shut it off with five to go,” he said. “I’m glad I did.”
Gaughan nearly played spoiler. The Richard Childress Racing teammates went bumper-to-bumper midway through the last lap.
“When I came out of turn five, Brendan was right there with me,” McDowell said. “I said, ‘Uh-oh.’”
It was the start of a fourturn stretch of the 14-turn track in which Gaughan said he thought he had the best shot to overtake McDowell.
McDowell held on through the critical eighth turn, and he cut off Gaughan’s passing lanes from there. Gaughan couldn’t catch up, even with fresher tires.
“Michael and I have always raced with respect, so I’m not going to do anything stupid,” Gaughan said. “Got right to his rear bumper, but just couldn’t pull it through (turns 9 and 10) to get to him.”
Moffitt wins at Michigan
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Brett Moffitt passed Timothy Peters and William Byron on the final lap to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday.
Peters was two laps away from what would have been his first victory of the season, but Byron nosed ahead with a lap to go, and Moffitt was then able to move to the outside and take the lead.
Moffitt, the Sprint Cup Series rookie of the year last season, was making his fourth start in the No. 11 Toyota this year in place of Matt Tifft. His victory denied Peters a win that could have solidified a spot in the season-ending Chase.
Peters was second, giving Red Horse Racing a 1-2 showing, while Daniel Hemric was third and Byron finished fourth.