McDowell Battles from Back to Front for Top-15 finish. Gilliland Finishes 32nd After Mechanical Fix

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The NASCAR Cup Series traveled to the Daytona International Speedway to close out the regular season this past weekend.

Qualifying 39th, Michael McDowell and the No. 34 FR8 Racing Ford Mustang team quickly moved forward. McDowell quickly found his teammate, Todd Gilliland, and the two worked together to chip away at the competition. The duo opted to fall to the back to stay out of any potential accidents. McDowell finished 37th in Stage 1. A cycle of pit stops put McDowell in second place with 10 laps remaining in Stage 2. McDowell was shuffled back to 15th where he finished the stage. Taking four tires and fuel at the stage break, McDowell continued to fight to the front and finished the race 13th.

Qualifying 35th, Gilliland and the Boot Barn Ford Mustang team were ready for one final shot at making the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Gilliland found a great drafting partner in McDowell before the two decided to fall to the back before the end of Stage 1 to avoid any potential wrecks. Coming to pit road during the stage break, Gilliland reported he couldn’t see out of the windshield and rearview camera due to an unknown fluid. The team quickly realized the fluid was coming from Gilliland’s car and took the Ford Mustang to the garage to find a punctured oil line. The team finished stage two 39th and retired from the race with 15 laps remaining.

Michael McDowell, Driver No. 34 FR8 Racing Ford Mustang:

“Not the qualifying result we wanted but we made the most of it to get another top-15 and almost a top-10. I have to thank FR8 Racing, Fr8 Auctions, Marcus and Matt for their support of our program."

Todd Gilliland, Driver No. 38 Boot Barn Mustang:

“Not how we wanted to end the regular season, but I’m still super proud of this team. We will keep our foot on the gas and keep digging throughout the rest of the season. We just want to race for wins and get better."

The team next races Sunday that Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The race is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET on the USA Network.