Michael McDowell got here near profitable the NASCAR Cup Collection race in Texas, however in the end crashed out of the occasion whereas working in third.
McDowell was main the closing phases of the Wurth 400 within the #71 Spire Motorsport Chevrolet, having handed the #12 Penske of Ryan Blaney with 10 laps to run.
However because the race neared its conclusion, McDowell got here below stress from the opposite Penske automotive of Joey Logano, who overtook him simply 4 laps from the end.
The go unsettled the 40-year-old, who subsequently dropped behind Blaney into third place.
A primary podium since final yr’s Sonoma occasion was nonetheless on the playing cards for McDowell, however he blew that away on the next lap when he misplaced management of his automotive at Flip 2 and slammed the obstacles on the again straight.
He was finally categorised twenty sixth.
McDowell felt gutted by his late-race incident, having had a shot at giving his new workforce Spire Motorsports its first Cup Collection victory since Justin Haley’s triumph on the Daytona 400 in 2019.
“I simply actually hate it for everybody on this No. 71 Chevrolet,” he stated. “We have been giving it all the pieces, we had there to attempt to preserve observe place.
“Joey [Logano] received a run there, and I attempted to dam it. I went so far as I believe you can in all probability go.
“When [Ryan] Blaney slid up in entrance of me, it simply took the air off of it and I simply misplaced the again of it. I nonetheless had the struggle in me, however I in all probability ought to have conceded at that time.
“However I’m simply pleased with everybody at Spire Motorsports. I do know that’s not the day we needed, however we had a chance to win the race.
“I’m actually pleased with everybody on the Hendrick Motorsports engine store – you guys noticed these restarts, the motors have been ripping. Simply hate that we didn’t get it completed, however we knew we needed to go for it. We went for it and it did not work out.”
McDowell, who break up with Entrance Row Motorsports after 2024 to affix Spire Motorsports, sits twentieth within the standings with a finest end of eleventh.