Michael McDowell No. 46 Whitney Motorsports Chevrolet Impala Preview: Charlotte
Harrisburg, N.C. (October 14, 2010) — Michael McDowell and the Whitney Motorsports team have their work cut out for them this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. While it's a home game for everyone, the proximity to the hub of the sport means everyone has their absolute best equipment. And being close to home means there are usually some extra entries, which makes life even tougher for those not locked into a guaranteed starting position.
How much pressure is on for Charlotte ? With all of the teams being located so close and all of the people in the industry who come out, does it make it even tougher than say Fontana last weekend? " Charlotte is so tough because the quality of equipment and the sheer number of cars. Everyone wants to run well in front of their family and friends, and a lot of the team members that don't travel week-in and week-out also make it to the track at Charlotte . There are a lot of sponsors there watching too. We have the same pressure on us every week, but this is definitely a big one and we want to be in the field."
What's the biggest challenge to a good qualifying lap at CMS? "It is fast -- real fast, especially at night. The biggest challenge is getting it all out of the car. There is a fine line between getting 100 percent and over driving it. Any little slip you make can mean you're watching from home instead of sitting in the seat strapped in. So we need to work on getting everything out of the car without trying to get too much."
What other off-track activities have you been a part of this week? "We did the third annual Jail and Bail in memory of Brianne Davis on Wednesday, and we also went to the MRO New Song concert. There are always a lot of things to do in Charlotte during race week and some of those things pop up at the last minute so I am sure we'll have plenty to do besides driving racecars this weekend."
Charlotte On-Track:
Thursday October 14
- 3:30 — 5:30 PM NSCS Practice (Live ESPN2)
- 7:10 PM NSCS Qualifying (Live ESPN2)
Friday October 15
- 5:00 — 5:45 PM NSCS Practice (Live ESPN2)
- 6:20 — 7:20 PM NSCS Final Practice (Live ESPN2)
Saturday October 16
- 7:30 PM NSCS Bank of America 500 (334 laps/501 miles; Live ABC/PRN Radio/Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 128)