Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team return to The Brickyard for the final race before the two-week Olympic Break.
McDowell is the defending winner at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning the Verizon 200 last year on the road course and locking his place in the NASCAR Playoffs. For the oval configuration, it will be his 12th career Cup Series start with a best finish of 7th-place in 2020, the last time the Cup Series raced on the oval.
Horizon Hobby is back on the 34 for the first time since the Phoenix Raceway in March, where McDowell scored his second Top-10 of the season with an 8th-place finish. The 34 will also have LOSI branding on the car, the makers of the 1/12th scale NASCAR RC Race Car, featuring McDowell’s Ford Mustang Ford Dark Horse.
On track action for the Cup Series will begin Friday July 19 with practice at 2:30 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports App and qualifying on Saturday, July 20 at 1:00 p.m. ET on USA Network. The Brickyard 400 will be at 2:30 p.m. ET, Sunday July 21, televised on NBC. Fans can also listen to the action on SiriusXM Channel 90.
No. 34 Horizon Hobby Ford Mustang Dark Horse:
DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:
“It is cool to go back there because we won last year and there will be banners there with us in victory lane. That is cool. It is going to be fun. It’s a great feeling returning to Indy as the defending race winner – even though we’re back on the oval, not the road course. There’s something really special about going to Indy – it’s almost hard to explain. That track has so much history and so many emotions associated with it, it’s a place where you really want to win. At the end of the day, a lot of the time you’re battling the track itself. It can be difficult to pass because the corners are so tight and you can’t really run well in a pack. Track position and restarts will be the key to a good run.
“It’s super exciting to see Horizon Hobby back on our Ford Mustang Dark Horse. They have been such a fun partner to represent and it’s going to be fun to see them again this weekend.”
CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:
“We’re excited to go back to Indy. It’s the track where I got my first win as a crew chief, so it will always be a special place, personally. Being back on the oval will have its own set of challenges compared to the road course. It’s a tough place to pass and track position and strategy will be key. Michael is one of the few Cup drivers with experience on the oval, so we’ll have a good gameplan for this weekend. We just need to capitalize on the opportunity.”
Front Row Motorsports PR
