Chicago Street Course Competition Notes
TEAM AND RACE NOTES:
The Windy City of Chicago is next on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule as Front Row Motorsports will race on the streets for the second ever Chicago Street Race and the Grand Park 165.
Michael McDowell will be carrying a hometown team on his Ford Mustang Dark Horse as the Chicago White Sox will serve as the primary sponsor for the weekend. The Major League Baseball club will be joined by SKIL, an innovative electric power tool brand founded in Chicago in 1924. Celebrating 100 years of innovation including the original worm drive Saw that Built America and current lineup of cordless power tools and outdoor power equipment, SKIL will be featured as an associate sponsor aboard McDowell’s No. 34 entry.
McDowell finished seventh in last year's rain-shortened, inaugural race after qualifying sixth. The 39-year-old also has a Top-5 finish on a road course this season, finishing second at Sonoma Raceway, back in June.
For Todd Gilliland, who finished 19th in last year's event, he is riding an eight-race Top-20 streak, including a Top-10 in the most recent Cup Series road course at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, in June.
The weekend will begin with practice and qualifying on Saturday, July 6th at 12:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. Sunday's race will be at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Fans can also listen in on the action live from Sirius XM and the Motor Racing Network.
CUP SERIES COMPETITION NOTES:
No. 34 Chicago White Sox Ford Mustang Dark Horse:
DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:
"I think we can be as confident as possible going into the weekend. The Street Course is a really fun track, definitely a challenge. We need to be smart and execute, but I think we can have a good weekend. Also, I'm excited to have the Chicago White Sox on the car, especially with family ties to the Chicago area, so it will be a fun weekend for us and the fans for sure."
CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:
"Chicago is going to be a very important race for us. We have been strong on the road courses, and we look at this event as another great opportunity to get a win and get in the playoffs. It’s a very unique track and weekend but we are looking forward to the challenge and opportunity of it!"
No. 38 gener8tor Ford Mustang Dark Horse:
DRIVER TODD GILLILAND:
"Chicago is a big race for us, it's one I have had circled on my calendar. We left Sonoma with a Top-10, which is a huge confidence booster. We showed a lot of speed in practice last year, we just have to translate that into qualifying and get a good starting spot. I think it will be a good weekend for us."
CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY:
"I think we have a really solid chance of bringing home a win and punching our ticket to the playoffs this weekend. We have been working nonstop to get this car ready, double checking everything. We have a lot of positive momentum heading into Chicago from how we performed at Sonoma, we just have to bring another fast gener8tor Ford Mustang Dark Horse and execute."
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