McDowell Looking To Make A Splash At Team Owners’ Home Track

NASCAR driver Michael McDowell is heading to Texas Motor Speedway, the home track for team owners Bob and Sharon Leavine, for the first time this season and looking to secure his 15th career-best finish of the season. 

Since fellow Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing (CSLFR) driver, Ty Dillon, competed in the spring race at Texas Motor Speedway this season, McDowell is eager to jump back into the No. 95 Thrivent Financial Chevrolet SS after recording his ninth Top-20 finish of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season at Martinsville last weekend.

This return to the “Lone Star” state will mark McDowell’s 14th attempt at the mile and a half track, where he hopes to extend the team’s recent streak of Top-20 finishes. 

“I didn’t run the first race at Texas this year; Ty Dillon was in the car for that race,” said McDowell.  “But as a team, we have good notes and good information from it. It has been a solid race for us in the past.  It’s also a hometown race for our team owners Bob and Sharon (Leavine), so we always have a lot of guests.  It should be a fun weekend!”

CSLFR is also excited to have a special guest attending the AAA Texas 500 this weekend from the team’s annual CAMP 95 event. High school student and Canton, CT. native, Carson Napierski attended the camp this past June, where he learned about many of the different career options available in the world of motorsports and NASCAR.

At the conclusion of the two-day event, campers entered an essay contest in which they were asked to write about what they learned at camp and how they will use it in their future careers. Napierski was chosen as the winner of the essay contest, earning the opportunity to be a part of the CSLFR crew at Texas Motor Speedway.

The detail and passion in Napierski’s words inspired the team as he was able to show just how much he learned at camp and the impact it had on the 14-year old who is already looking into a career in motorsports.

“I learned so much at CAMP 95!” said Napierski. “My favorite thing would have to be learning about how each car is made from beginning to end, and how much effort and time goes into one. I am so excited to be a part of the CSLFR crew this weekend because I’ll be able to see everything I learned at camp being put to work! I am really looking forward to seeing the car being dialed in to ‘race mode’ and seeing how everyone reacts and thinks so quickly under pressure while getting ready for and during the race.”

The AAA Texas 500 will take place at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, November 6 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Race fans can tune-in to NBCSN for live coverage and follow @CSLFR95 on Twitter.

CSLFR PR