Last year, for half the season, NASCAR removed stage breaks from the road courses, to allow the events to unravel more naturally. However, this year, those breaks are back and the drivers who liked the idea of more free-flowing road course races are not happy. Moreover, with this shift back, drivers and teams will need to come up with a new plan. Front Row Motorsports driver Michael McDowell, who is not particularly happy about the stage breaks being back, recently shared his thoughts.

Since stage breaks were the norm till the start of 2023, it was challenging for many drivers to adapt to NASCAR’s ‘experiment’ on tracks that are already challenging, like the Circuit of The Americas. But McDowell was among the group who found the system enjoyable. 

The return of stage break might throw a wrench in the works for drivers like Michael McDowell

Each race in NASCAR stage racing is split into three segments, with bonus points awarded to the leaders after the first two. This kind of setup can force the driver to set their priorities straight in terms of either wanting stage points or thinking long run, to eventually be able to drive to victory lane. Speaking along the same line, Michael McDowell got candid while reminiscing about the no-stage-break COTA race of last year. 

In a pre-race presser at the Phoenix Raceway, the driver of the #34 Ford Mustang Dark Horse was asked whether drivers who are as good as him on road courses would prefer races without stage brakes or not. In response, Michael McDowell stated, “I think last year was a perfect storm for us as far as ‘no stage breaks’ and the amount of speed that we had, because the fastest car won those races. And this year that’ll look different.”

He further explained, “It’ll look different because if you want to win a stage, you absolutely have to sacrifice your race finish. I mean, you do. That’s not really even up for conversation anymore.”

“You’re not going to drive back through the field. And so you have to make a decision before you ever get to COTA. Are we going to go for stage wins or are we going to try to win the race? Obviously, we’re going to try to go win the race.”

While McDowell understands that these breaks make the race more exciting for the fans, he’d still prefer to qualify up front, lead every lap, and avoid even the caution breaks. He also went on to label stage breaks as ‘awful’, saying, “I understand it’ll probably create more excitement for the fans and for the people that are watching and we’re trying to entertain. But for me, selfishly, stage breaks are awful. I really dislike them.”

However, there is still time for the COTA race to begin and he’s preparing for the upcoming Cup Series event at Phoenix. Given that it’s his hometown, he understands how crucial it is to have a strong showing next weekend.

The Front Row Motorsports star is eyeing a good finish at home track

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Returning to his hometown track at Phoenix Raceway holds special significance for the driver, even though he hasn’t always performed at his best here. Meanwhile, the point standings for this season see him sitting in 22nd place at the moment. But he is now hoping to bounce back, despite previously experiencing technical difficulties in Daytona and a wreck at Atlanta. He looks determined to make an impression with the support of his home crowd.

He said in the press conference, “It’s obviously really important. I mean, every weekend’s important, but it’s nice when you run good in front of your hometown. This hasn’t been a strong track for me and for us in the past, but I feel like we turned that corner last year, especially with our short track program.”

“And we were able to get a top 10 here, which for us was a big day, because this had been one of those tracks that we’d struggled at. So we made good gains last year, and we want to keep that up this year and put ourselves in contention. So it’s fun. It’s good to have a strong day.”

Unfortunately, for the driver, his best results at the track have only been 13th and 9th, both of which came last year. However, this could very well be a sign that he is on an upward trajectory. And who knows? Maybe he will clinch the chequered flag this year.

NASCAR Update: Michael McDowell Wins His First Pole at the Ambetter Health 400 in Atlanta