Catchfence

Darlington, S.C. (May 5, 2009)- The upcoming Diamond Hill Plywood 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series event at the daunting Darlington Raceway is sure to intimidate some. 2009 Raybestos Rookie of the Year points leader Michael McDowell says ‘Bring it on’.

“I’m not sure why they call it the Lady in Black; Maybe because you leave black marks on the walls in the corners? Is it because it was one of the first tracks to be paved? I’m not really sure. I do know this: After all of our strong runs lately I can’t wait to get there”, said McDowell.

Four straight top-15 finishes in the JTG Daugherty #47 have given McDowell momentum and confidence. But that’s not all. McDowell now sits 8th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series points standings and leads the 2009 Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. McDowell says that good finishes give optimism to a team that deserves it.

“I look forward to every weekend. As we continue to run better and better, we move further up in the points and build on each run. The key now is to keep the momentum, learn more every week and continue to contend for top-10’s, top-5’s and wins”, said McDowell.

McFacts:

2009: McDowell has two top-10 finishes in 2009 (Vegas, Richmond); Four top-15 finishes in a row (Nashville, Phoenix, Talladega, Richmond)

Darlington Stats: 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Start, 2008: Start- 18, Finish- 28

Raybestos Rookie of Darlington: As McDowell takes over the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings this week, he’s no stranger to the Brake company’s Rookie program. McDowell was awarded Raybestos Rookie of the Race in last year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Darlington.

McQuote:

“Darlington is an extremely difficult and technical place to get around. Turns three and four are super tricky. You’re looking for a lot of exit speed off the corners here so that you can get great runs down the long straightaways. Even as you enter the corner with all that speed, you won’t lift much. I just let the car slide up the track to the center to point and shoot it off the corner.”

McCar:

- The No. 47 Tom’s Snacks JTG Daugherty Racing team will compete with chassis #50 in this weekend’s Diamond Hill Plywood 200.
- This car was last seen at California where it qualified 3rd before breaking an oil line and catching fire.

- Michael McDowell Racing, Inc. Press Release