CREW CHIEF: Travis Peterson
TEAM: Front Row Motorsports
POINTS: 15th in Cup Series
WINS: One (Indianapolis road course)
LAPS LED: 97
TOP 5s: Two
TOP 10s: Eight
STARTS FROM POLE: None
WHAT WENT RIGHT: McDowell won his first race in the Next Gen era. He led 54 laps at Indianapolis and held off Chase Elliott to score his first road course win in Cup. This win put him back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
McDowell had a five-race stretch in June and July where he scored four top-10 finishes and one top five. The lone outlier was Nashville where he finished 28th. This stretch moved him from outside the top 20 in points and into the playoff bubble.
McDowell’s 97 laps led marked a career-high in a single season. His previous best was 67 in 2022 when Blake Harris was his crew chief.
WHAT WENT WRONG: McDowell struggled during the playoffs. He crashed in the Round of 16 opener at Darlington and finished 32nd. He then finished 26th at Kansas. This put him in a must-win situation entering the elimination race at Bristol. He finished sixth.
McDowell had a five-week stretch in the regular season where he finished 22nd or worse. This included races at Talladega, Dover, Kansas, Darlington and Charlotte. These finishes dropped McDowell from the cusp of the playoffs to outside the top 20 in points.
McDowell struggled at 1.5-mile tracks. His best finishes were 15th at Texas in September and 17th at Las Vegas in October. He finished 26th in both Kansas races.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2024: McDowell returns to Front Row Motorsports and reunites with crew chief Travis Peterson. The team is unlikely to be in contention for wins on a weekly basis due to its smaller size. There will still be certain races where McDowell and the No. 34 team have opportunities to be in the mix.
