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Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell bagged his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series pole position at the Atlanta Motor Speedway qualifying run.
The #34 Ford Mustang driver has begun the 2024 Cup Series season with strong performances. In the season-opener Daytona 500 race, McDowell started from the P2 spot in the starting lineup, kicking off his run next to Joey Logano in P1. However, his run at the Great American Race ended at a dismaying P36.
However, the tables turned during the qualifying run at AMS' 1.54-mile track when Michael McDowell secured the fastest lap with a soaring speed of 178.844 mph. Joey Logano finished P2 this time, clocking his fastest lap time at 178.242 mph.
Following his impressive finish, the Front Row Motorsports driver reflected upon making the most out of the present as he showcased his confidence in the "fast cars". McDowell said (via Speedway Media):
“It’s just motivating to make the most of the opportunity we have in front of us because right now, today. We have fast cars and that’s not a guarantee six months from now and that’s not a guarantee 12 months from now."
He added:
"I know that because I lived the other side for a long time, so it’s making the most of the opportunity that we have right in front of us right now because right now we’re in the game and have something for them."
Michael McDowell on Front Row Motorsports' technical alliance with Team Penske
Days before the Daytona 500 of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season kicked off, Front Row Motorsports joined hands with Team Penske for a technical alliance.
Aspects like aerodynamics, pit crew training and development, and race blueprints will be worked upon together by both teams. Additionally, Front Row Motorsports' decades-old alliance with Ford Performance will stay intact for multiple seasons to follow.
Post Michael McDowell's dominant display during the qualifying, a reporter asked the Front Row Motorsports driver for an explanation regarding the technical alliance.
Motorsports journalist Bob Pockrass shared McDowell's reply on X (formerly Twitter):
"We aren't there yet with how young and early this relationship is... I think we definitely have gained some really helpful things that have allowed us to increase the performance."
The 39-year-old driver added:
"I don't think that we'll see the true results, what that looks like until we get a few more months in down the road. I mean, right now, we're just trying to figure out the internet and tooling."
