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NASCAR veteran Michael McDowell gave his take on how to tackle practice sessions before races.
Following the onset of the pandemic, practice sessions were scrapped in 2020 and 2021. New for this year is its eventual return to the format, albeit in a heavily reworked avatar. The new format reduces the duration of Practice and Qualifying sessions by more than half on some tracks.
The 2021 Daytona 500 winner, in an interview with Fox Sports, said the key to having a good race will be staying out of trouble and avoiding contact. He advised drivers worried about the new format, saying:
“The biggest thing... going to California (Fontana) is not making any mistakes in those practices because we’re still really limited on cars, limited on parts, and so it’s just minimizing the risk and maximizing the opportunity in those practices and qualifying.”
McDowell also felt that it was difficult to help his rookie teammate Todd Gilliland at Front Row Motorsports this year. Reasoning this to new cars and limited practice time that evens out the playing field, he explained the issue, saying:
“If I had more to give to him about how I’m going to approach practice, I would, but we’re just going to hit the track and figure out what we need to do, It’s going to be a steep curve for everybody.”
Meanwhile, motorsport reporter Bob Pockrass gave a quick rundown of the practice and qualification formats on Twitter, writing:
Cup: 15 min practice ovals, 20 min road courses; 50 min: Daytona 500, Atl-March, Gateway, Nash, Phx finale. 100 min Bristol dirt. No practice Dega & Daytona-Aug. Qualifying: 2 groups, single-car ovals, group road courses, top-5 in each group to 2nd rd to determine first 5 rows.
It becomes evident by looking at the session durations why some drivers like Christopher Bell from Joe Gibbs Racing prefer to call them 'hot-lap sessions'.
NASCAR veteran Michael McDowell and his win at the 2021 Daytona 500
In between late crashes and a rain-delayed 63rd Daytona 500, Michael McDowell emerged onto Victory Lane to celebrate his win in the historic race. It marked the driver's first win in 358 starts in NASCAR's top series.
McDowell drove his #34 Ford Mustang onto the top step for Front Row Motorsports, beating Chase Elliot to the line.
