The penultimate race of the regular season of the Cup Series indeed lived up to the hype. With just one more race left to decide the fates of the handful of drivers, the battle had undoubtedly intensified, to say the least. While the odds were skewed towards the road course king Chase Elliott, the newly crowned Indianapolis victor Michael McDowell grabbed the limelight in the earlier part of the race.

With Chris Buescher setting the tone for two consecutive wins, NASCAR fans were on the lookout if the newly crowned winner would be able to put up another dominant performance on another road course. It was apparent that it was too early to count the chickens, as the hope of another win seems to crumble down too early in the race.

The latest threat to Chase Elliott succumbs to a NASCAR penalty

Michael McDowell’s win on the tracks of Indianapolis Motor Speedway was surely a win that the NASCAR enthusiasts had not foreseen. The FRM driver had outlasted Chase Elliott, who boasts of an impressive track record at road courses and also crushed his hopes for the playoffs. The veteran driver with just two victories to his name in his entire Cup Series career, had put his best foot forward for the race at Watkins Glen International, after a favorable qualifying on Saturday.

After punching his ticket for the playoffs, the FRM driver exhibited an invincible performance in the opening stage of the race. McDowell was able to hold up the pole-sitter Denny Hamlin as he gained the extra points after he picked up the Stage 1 win. However, it was the one last time where luck seemed to have favored the driver, as everything from that point onwards went awry for the driver, the inception being a faulty pit-stop.

Michael McDowell who had pitted under the green and had crossed more than three pit-box stalls, to enter his pit-box area, was nabbed with a drive-through penalty. The driver eventually dropped from leading the race to the 15th position shattering the hopes for a second back-t0-back victory.

NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck posted on his Twitter profile highlighting the incident. He wrote, “WOW. Penalty for Michael McDowell! He drove through too many pit boxes during his entry. So much for going back-to-back.”

Watch this Story: Chase Elliott Calls Out Hendrick Motorsports Revealing What Lost Him the Race

NASCAR enthusiasts call out names at Michael McDowell after being slapped with a penalty

With the hopes of victory going to dwindle, displeased NASCAR enthusiasts heaved their frustration towards the driver. They took to Twitter and wrote:

“Mcdammit.”

“McPenalty.”

“Crap !!!!! That stinks !!”

Others also wrote, “That’s a gut punch.”

“If he was running 22nd, nascar wouldn’t have done a damn thing.”

With the race at Watkins Glen International race coming to a conclusion, there have been too many questions that have remained unanswered along with the expectations of witnessing a new victor have surely intensified. Will the race at Daytona be the last straw for Chase Elliott and the No.9 Chevrolet team or will the golden boy of NASCAR will face the bitter truth of his career? Will Michael McDowell earn another Daytona win? Well, time will only be able to answer.

Read More: “Fire Gustafson”- Hendrick Motorsports Employee Does Chase Elliott Dirty