McDowell, Koch, and Stenhouse Jr.
Flex Their Muscles
Who Came in Fourth in the Monster Energy #NASCAR Cup Series (#MENCS) for the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS)?
Fresh off capturing their sixth Top-25 finish in a row and third Top-15 of the season, Leavine Family Racing (LFR) and Michael McDowell was ready to take on the superspeedway that has brought both of them success, as well as McDowell’s best finish.
Out of twelve total starts at DIS, McDowell has earned three Top-10 finishes, two of which have been with LFR. Together, the team has also earned two Top-15 finishes, with the last coming from the 2017 MENCS season opener at Daytona this year.
"We had a great car during the Daytona 500 back in February," said McDowell before this weekend’s event. "We ran out of gas with a lap to go and didn't get the finish that we thought we had going, but my career best finish has come from Daytona. The Fourth of July race is hot, slick, and there's a lot of sliding around, so it should be a lot of fun."
.@Mc_Driver earns a career-best Cup finish of fourth Saturday @DISUpdates in #CokeZero400 https://t.co/LIbN7d1zdI— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 2, 2017
Their expectations were met and exceeded! Michael McDowell recorded his first career top-five in the Monster Energy Cup Series. McDowell, who ran in the top 15 for 93 of the 163 laps, avoided the major trouble in the race that featured fourteen cautions for 51 laps and charged to a fourth-place finish. Additionally, he completed the most green flag passes among all drivers with 412.
"It was a great run for us," said McDowell after making his 230th start. "Really building off the Daytona 500 where we were in the top-five and ran out of gas. We really had a fast car. The boys did a great job. It wasn't without trouble. We were around a lot of the carnage out there. There was just a lot of hard racing out there tonight. Three-wide, bumper-to-bumper all night long. It is great to have a top five."
Koch Wins First Stage, Leads 28 Laps at Daytona
Kaulig Racing driver Blake Koch experienced the highs and lows of racing over the two-day NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) Coca-Cola Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), culminating in a 38th-place finish. Koch earned a career-best start, won the first stage and led 28 laps in the event before being collected in a multi-car wreck on Lap 50.
“We had such a fast LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy and I feel like we really had a chance to win today,” said Koch. “I’m so thankful for my team and hate that we keep experiencing bad luck. We had some really positive things come out of this weekend, so we will focus on that as we move on to Kentucky.
First career stage win for @BlakeKochRacing! Stage 2 up next on @CNBC, or stream here: https://t.co/E2bAdxtGSX #NASCARonNBC pic.twitter.com/iSafqcE9YD— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 1, 2017
Koch and the No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection team leave DIS 12th in the NXS championship standings and with one playoff point. The team returns to racing action on Friday, July 7th at Kentucky Speedway.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’S Becomes the Fifth Cup Series Driver with Multiple Wins In 2017.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who turns thirty in October, has proven to be an integral part of the Roush Fenway Racing turnaround. Stenhouse Jr., who won consecutive Xfinity Series championships, is in his fifth full cup season.
Ricky stormed to the front on the final restart, leading a line of drafting cars that swept past leader David Ragan. After years of frustration, Stenhouse finally scored his first Cup victory May 7 at Talladega Superspeedway, then he struck again in the next restrictor-plate race Saturday night. It will be fun to watch his progress in the 2017 Chase. NASCAR Race Mom loved his enthusiasm.
Another congrats 2 @StenhouseJr on his win! Head over to https://t.co/zHP0E6j23K & use promo code DAYTONAWIN to receive 17% off Ricky merch! pic.twitter.com/t8Q5PUK7Z3— Fastenal (@FastenalCompany) July 3, 2017
"I kept my Talladega car and told them to build a new one. And they built another Ford that was really fast. We won the (Coke Zero 400); I can't believe it! We put it in victory lane and got our second win. ... "I had a Fourth of July party planned. It just got a little bigger."
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