Daytona Preview

McDowell on Daytona"I'm really excited to be here and to have laps under my belt in the Love's Ford. We had pretty smooth practices -- just a few growing pains on my end, getting things fine-tuned. We were working on the shifter and all the things you get used to over the years, because they change when you go to another team and another car. But everybody did a good job, and practice went pretty smoothly, and we're ready for the Duels and the 500.

"It's crazy that the Daytona 500 is going to be my 250th Cup start. There have been a lot of great drivers that have come through the series, and I feel very fortunate that I'm still here and have another opportunity this year. To make 250 is awesome, and to do it at Daytona is special. I've got a lot to look forward to this year and hopefully I can make it count."

McDowell Daytona Stats
13 starts, 1 top-5, 4 top-10s
Best finish: 4th 

Milestone for Michael
The 2018 Daytona 500 will be McDowell's 250th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start.

Meet Michael
Thursday, Feb. 15, 3pm - Ford Performance display (Daytona International Speedway Fan Zone)