Michael McDowell has proved to be a formidable road course racer in NASCAR. He made that very clear this past weekend at the Indianapolis Road Course, as he was able to beat a driver he views as NASCAR's best road racer in the Verizon 200.
After winning at Indianapolis, McDowell admitted that he isn't the sport's best road course racer. He made that clear as the honored guest on Monday's episode of the podcast "Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin." McDowell gives that title to Chase Elliott, whom he held off for the win Sunday to clinch a playoff spot.
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"I knew, Chase Elliott is the best road course racer there is in our sport," McDowell said. "You can't deny that. He's got like seven wins in the last five years. Statistically, he is the best, and I know that. He can win any given weekend — he could have won this weekend. He could win the next one. ... It was like if he wins, I'm still gonna run fifth. He's not gonna get 40 points on me. He might get 15, he might get 20, but there's no way he's gonna get 40."
This all stems from a comment Hamlin made on a previous episode of the podcast, where he called out McDowell and said he wasn't going to be able to outrace Elliott at the road courses. Well, here we are — McDowell called his own shot and proved Hamlin wrong by winning in Indy.
Now we will have to wait and see if Elliott, with his back against the wall, can live up to McDowell's claim that he is the best road course racer and win at Watkins Glen this weekend. Elliott will be looking for his third win at the New York road course.
