Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Love's Travel Stops/Chevron Delo team finished 15th in Sunday's race at the Texas Motor Speedway. McDowell gained points by finishing fifth in Stage 1 and then 15th at the end. The finish helped push McDowell into a tie with Joey Logano for 15th in points.
McDowell had a great race on Sunday after starting 17th. He moved into the top-five using pit strategy in Stage 1 and raced in the second spot most of the stage. He ended Stage 1 in fifth. Only a penalty on pit road during the final stage sent the team back. However, McDowell raced back through the field to finish 15th.
Zane Smith made his next NASCAR Cup Series start at the Texas Motor Speedway in the No. 38 Ambetter Ford Mustang. Smith started 33rd and moved forward all afternoon on a track that is difficult to pass. The defending NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion used his patience and skill to climb into the top-25 during the race.
Late in the race, on Lap 257, Smith was caught in a six-car wreck that sent Smith spinning into the grass. He did a masterful job of keeping the car off the wall. The team patched the body and Smith again raced from the back to finish 24th in the limited laps left.
Michael McDowell, Driver No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops/Chevron Delo Ford Mustang:
“At the end of the day, we gained a lot of points and that helped our goal of finishing as high in points as possible. We're still showing top-10 and top-five speed. We're still proving that we can be up front and win races.
"So, it was a good weekend and we closed the gap on the guys in front of us in points. A good race at Talladega can really keep us climbing forward."
Zane Smith, Driver No. 38 Ambetter Health Ford Mustang:
"We are racing for the best finish as possible and to get more experience. Texas is a tough track and we were behind after qualifying. We did what we could but we all wanted more."
The team next races Sunday at the Talladega Superspeedway. The race is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.