Michael McDowell celebrates NASCAR 'butt kicking' with family, Chase Elliott has 'a shot'

There was a bigger smile on Michael McDowell’s face this time around.

Or maybe there were just more of them.

While McDowell’s first win in the 2021 Daytona 500 was certainly a big one, it was one he was left to celebrate on his own, with strict COVID-19 regulations prohibiting children from attending. After a Saturday of fast practice and qualifying times, there was an inkling that victory Sunday at Indianapolis was possible.

In the end, his cherry picking led to quite a cherry on top.

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“Winning the Daytona 500 was one of the coolest moments you could ever have but going to Victory Lane without your family, that was tough,” McDowell said. “And so, we cherry pick; my family comes to the races we think we can win. We thought we could win this one. Just so proud.”

His voice trailed off, the emotion getting the best of him as his wife Jami and children Trace, Emma, Rylie, Lucas and Isabella joined him, with the whole family gathering moments later to kiss the bricks.

It was certainly a heart-warming moment, but a big one too in McDowell’s career as well as for Front Row Motorsports. The organization had three wins prior, but two had come at superspeedways and the other came in a well-timed rainout at Pocono in 2016 for Chris Buescher.

There was nothing fluky about Sunday as McDowell led 54 of 82 laps and appeared to have one of, if not the fastest car upon unloading on Saturday. Asked about being a Cinderella of sorts, Front Row general manager Jerry Freeze said he believed performances like Sunday’s should help shed that storyline.

“I think you could say that the first three (wins for Front Row), circumstances kind of played their way into being in the position to get the checkered flag at the end,” Freeze said. “But this one was just a real butt kicking, and so I'm especially proud of this win.”

Lets go through the gears

First gear: NASCAR goes international and a Shane Van Gisbergen update

With seven countries represented in the field, Sunday’s race at Indy had an international feel.

Judging by driver comments after, that’s not about to change anytime soon.

In addition to Chicago Street Race winner and New Zealander Shane Van Gisbergen, Australian Brodie Kostecki, Great Britain’s Jensen Button, Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi and Germany’s Mike Rockenfeller competed, with Kostecki and Kobayashi making their first NASCAR starts.

"I want to come back," Kobayashi said. “Let's see what will happen, but I think just the experience was really amazing, myself.

"I hope we think we can explore even more in Japan about NASCAR."

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As for Van Gisbergen, who also ran Friday night’s Craftsman Truck Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park, a pursuit of full time NASCAR participation is still a goal.

“We’re closer but I haven’t closed anything out,” Van Gisbergen said. “I really have to sort Australia first, but that’s looking promising and coming up with something here and yeah, hopefully moving to the states.”

Second gear: Daniel Suarez settles with "heartbreaking" third-place finish

For every victory, there are 30-plus drivers who leave heartbroken, and a derivative of that word is exactly how Daniel Suarez described his third-place finish.

Needing a win as badly as McDowell did, Suarez won the pole and was running in step with the eventual winner until a pit-road miscue on the team’s final stop cost him several seconds of track position. Without any cautions, Suarez couldn’t make it up.

Now, 28 points behind Bubba Wallace for the 16^th and final playoff spot, the mistake looms even more costly. But Suarez refused to play the blame game.

“We win and we lose as a team, that’s all I can say,” he said. “Just a little heartbreaking, but that’s part of the sport. All we can do is continue to push, continue to build racecars like these that are capable of winning races.”

Third gear: Chase Elliott finishes second, eyes a little more at Watkins Glen

Hovering around three seconds back, Chase Elliott could see McDowell the entirety of the final run and beyond the 34 car, a win and the playoffs.

But he just couldn't get there.

“I needed a little better through the back half over there and get off (Turn) 14 a little better just to have myself in a better spot getting into 1,” Elliott said. “Our NAPA Chevy was really good, really good. Just needed a little bit more and came up short.”

With just two regular-season races left, moral victories don’t mean much to Elliott, but it is hard not to look ahead to Sunday at Watkins Glen where he has a pair of wins and four top fives in six starts.

“We’ve got a shot at it,” Elliott surmised.

Fourth gear: Watkins Glen trends

While Elliott’s record at the Glen is certainly strong, he hasn’t been the best car in his own stable as of late.

Kyle Larson has won back-to-back races at the Glen, giving Hendrick Motorsports four in a row. Kyle Busch also has two career victories there with AJ Allmendinger, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. each recording one.

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This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Michael McDowell, family celebrate NASCAR win; Elliott, Suarez push on