TEAM AND RACE NOTES
Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team reunite with Fr8Auctions.com to take on the now superspeedway-style Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.
The Atlanta, Georgia-based asset recovery business, Fr8Auctions.com, returns to their home track with McDowell and the No. 34 Ford Mustang. This will be the eighth consecutive race that Fr8 Auctions raced with McDowell at the track.
McDowell joined Fr8 Auctions founder, Marcus Barela on July 4 for their Fr8 Auctions Fireworks Extravaganza which was the largest on the southside of Atlanta. McDowell is staying in Atlanta for the week and participating in the Fr8Auctions.com auction on Thursday.
McDowell will then turn his focus to the car. Track activity will begin with qualifying on Saturday at 5:35 p.m. Sunday’s 260-lap race is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on the USA network.
COMPETITION NOTES
After finishing seventh at the Chicago Street Race, Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team head to the Atlanta (GA.) Motor Speedway looking to continue to fight for a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs. McDowell enters the race ten points behind.
McDowell has one top-15 finish with FRM at the track and finished 21st in the first day race at Atlanta in March. Sunday’s race will finish under the lights.
CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON
“The track should have more grip at night and it should be faster. It’s tough to take the notes from March and now apply them to this race. We are moving from a 3:00 p.m. start time to 7:00 p.m. and that just changes how we need to approach it.”
DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL
“We’re up to speed with what we need for Atlanta.
“I think the track probably threw us all for a little bit of a loop – of just how much it aged in a year and how the grip level changed. The first two races, you really didn’t know exactly what to expect. But now, we have a pretty good understanding of what we need to bring back and things we need to do better.
“It has that element of drafting, pushing and all that. It’s not like that’s not there. But I think handling is more of a legitimate factor that you need to take in for this race, especially for how hot it’s going to be and how the track will change as the sun goes down.
“But we’ll be ready with our Fr8Auctions.com Ford Mustang. It’s a big week for them and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
FRM PR
