For most NASCAR Cup Series drivers, the opportunity to compete in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event, especially at a place like Daytona International Speedway, is looked at as an opportunity to do one of two things; either get some repititions ahead of Sunday’s big show, or bask in the prestige of racing, or maybe even winning, at ‘The World Center of Racing’.
For Michael McDowell, a long-time journeyman driver and NASCAR Cup Series veteran, there’s a different goal in mind for Friday’s Fresh From Florida 250.
You see, there’s an elite group of drivers, 41 of them to be exact, who have succeeded in winning events in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the Avondale, Arizona-native wants to join that list.
The 41-year-old driver has a pair of NASCAR Cup Series victories to his credit, including the 2021 DAYTONA 500 and a victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (on the road course), plus a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory at Road America, a decade ago, driving for Richard Childress Racing.
Now, to finally complete the puzzle and become the 42nd driver to win in all three of NASCAR’s National Series, McDowell will need to pull off a triumph in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, something the Spire Motorsports driver is focused on making happen this weekend.
“For me, doing the Truck race is always about trying to win a Truck race and win in all three series,” McDowell said. “The Truck Series is the box that hasn’t been checked. I don’t have a ton of opportunities to do it, so I have to make the ones count. I take that Truck race Friday night very seriously. I’ve been preparing for it. I put the same amount of preparation into that as I would the Cup race.”
McDowell will be piloting the No. 7 Tibbetts Lumber Chevrolet Silverado RST for Spire Motorsports in Friday’s Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway, and will look to dramatically improve upon the results in his first four NASCAR Truck Series starts, two of which came last season with Spire.
With Friday’s 250-miler officially kicking off the season for NASCAR’s National Series, McDowell has had lots of time to prepare for the event, which will feature a star-studded lineup of drivers, including John Hunter Nemechek, Carson Hocevar, Tony Stewart, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Cleetus McFarland, Travis Pastrana, and others.
“I have the capacity right now, too, because you’re not going week to week,” McDowell added. “I’ve had four weeks to prepare for one race. I feel like this is the time to do it. I have the time to do it right now.”
McDowell will look to earn a strong qualifying position for Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. The time trial session will take place on Friday, February 13, at 3:00 PM ET on FOX Sports 1.
