McDowell feeling pressure to get the job done in an ‘opportunity’ race

Michael McDowell feels he will have one of his best opportunities to win a NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday on the streets of Chicago.

NASCAR has increased the number of left- and right-handed courses in recent years, which has played into someone like McDowell’s hands. McDowell, of course, has a background in road and street course racing, and these races are the ones where he is typically in the conversation.

McDowell’s most recent win in the series was two years ago on the Indianapolis road course. So, should he triumph in the third annual Chicago event, it would not only be a third victory for McDowell, put him into the postseason, but it would also be a boost for his Spire Motorsports team.

“I feel the pressure,” McDowell said before qualifying second Saturday afternoon, in which he finished second to Shane van Gisbergen. “I know what I have to do. I know what I was hired to do, and I just have to go out there and do it. And sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t, and that’s what makes sports fun and makes a career fun, and that’s what makes the ups and downs worth it.”

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Chicago is the third road or street course this season. McDowell finished 11th at the Circuit of The Americas and was fifth last month in Mexico City. He led a combined five laps in those two events. Mexico City, in particular, was a bright spot for McDowell and his No. 71 team as they finished where they qualified and ran inside the top 10 a majority of the afternoon (his average running position was eighth).

Beyond this weekend, NASCAR heads to another road course at Sonoma Raceway. Watkins Glen is next month.

The sixth and final road course race, the Charlotte Roval, is in October. The postseason will have begun by then.

“We know that we need a win, and a win gets you in the playoffs,” McDowell said. “So, that’s always in the back of your mind, and as you get further into the schedule, you know those opportunities are becoming less and less. But I’ve dealt with that in the past, and I’ve been in that spot in the past. I think you do your job well and stay locked in, and take it week by week, and try to get the best result you can, knowing that this weekend is important.

“This weekend is important, but if it doesn’t work out this weekend, we have Sonoma. That is going to be important, too.”

But while these are the "opportunity races" for McDowell, they aren’t the only places he wants to be in the conversation. McDowell is 22nd in the championship standings in his first year driving for Spire Motorsports.

“The one nice thing about where we’re at with Spire Motorsports right now is I don’t think we’re just locked into only road courses or superspeedways,” he said. “I think we have enough speed to challenge, I don’t want to say anywhere, because we’re still growing and getting better. It’s not like I can confidently tell you here that we can win any track on any weekend, but there are tracks that we’re strong at and building good momentum.”