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Dan Peters
Sports Editor
Suburban
Journals of Chicago Inc.
Oak Park Journal
Forest Park Journal
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And
the Race is on.............................
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
Rookie McDowell
Captures Third Victory of Season at Chicagoland Speedway
by Dan Peters
Rookie Michael McDowell dominated the Chicagoland ARCA 200 Saturday
afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway. The Phoenix, Ariz., native kept his
Z Line-Make A Wish-Beck Dodge up front most of the afternoon, leading
98 laps of the 134-lap, 200-mile race en route to his third career ARCA
RE/MAX Series victory.
"It's just a testament to Eddie Sharp Racing and the whole Z Line
Design-Make-A-Wish-Beck Dodge crew," said McDowell. "It's just amazing.
It's good to be able to come out here and be dominant. We've had the
car to do it in the past but we've just been unlucky. We just have to
keep moving forward and score maximum points to make it happen in this
championship. If Frank (Kimmel) happens to have a mistake, we'll be
right there to capitalize and if not, we'll be able to look back at
this year and be able to smile. We've won races, won the most poles and
led the most laps. So it has been a pretty good year."
Justin Marks (who started the day eighth) finished a distant second,
1.092 seconds behind McDowell. "We got the car turning really well,
maybe even too well," said Marks. "We were kind of loose most of the
day and it really started to come to us during a long run. If we could
have gone the last 20-25 laps green we might have had something for
Michael (McDowell) but we got a little bit tight there when the sun
came out. I'm just really proud of this Construct Corps Team. Robby
(Benton/crew chief) and all of the guys did a great job and I would
really like to repay them with a win. We've got three more
opportunities to do that. I'm just absolutely driving my heart out.
That's what I want-a win." Roush Fenway Racing's Colin Braun finished
third in only his second career ARCA RE/MAX Series start.
"That was what today was really about, learning," said Braun.
"Everybody at Roush Fenway has done a really great job in helping me to
adapt to driving on the ovals. Erik Darnell and Travis Kvapil both came
out a few times and helped me out during a few tests, so
a big thanks out to those guys. We had great pit stops and my crew
chief Jeff Campey was very helpful...looking forward to getting in the
next one at Talladega."
Jeremy Clements, Erin Crocker, Frank Kimmel, Dexter Bean, Brett Hudson,
Blake Feese and Billy Venturini rounded out the top-10.
McDowell, who claimed the SIM Factory Pole Award with a qualifying
speed of 176.817 mph on Friday afternoon, held on to
his first place position for the majority of the race, leading 98 laps.
Jeremy Clements managed to pass him midway through the race, but
McDowell regained the lead on lap 101 and never looked back. This was
McDowell's third career victory and now sits 150 points behind point
leader Frank Kimmel with only three events remaining.
McDowell,
all smiles, lots of miles and the Third Victory of Season at
Chicagoland Speedway
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
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