Story By: BEN SHELTON / SHANE MCDOWELL RACING – MOORESBURG, TN – Dale McDowell scored a repeat victory with the Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals last Tuesday with a flag-to-flag triumph at I-75 Raceway aboard his Shane McDowell Racing / E-Z-GO No. 17m Cometic Gaskets / Klotz Synthetic Lubricants / Connected Strategy Advisors / Team Zero Race Cars / Clements Racing Engine Super Late Model.
The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer fended off a mid-race charge from Donald McIntosh to secure back-to-back wins with the miniseries at the Tennessee oval.
“Well I really don’t know was going on behind me (on the lap-17 caution), but I tell ya what, this old guy is tired,” McDowell said. “You had to get up on the wheel, it was a little choppy, but I think we had on a little bit harder tires, so it look us a little bit longer to get going than those guys. I just tried to keep it between the lanes and every now and then, it’d yank the wheel right outta my hands, so I was doing the best I can.”
Dale McDowell followed the Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals into their second week of competition, dropping in on Tuesday evening at I-75 Raceway (Sweetwater, Tenn.) for the fourth round of the tour.
McDowell topped the 29-car field in qualifying which earned him the pole position for the main event. Outrunning his competitors and leading all 40 laps, Dale collected his 15th career victory with the series and earned $7,553 for his efforts.
This weekend will see Dale return to the driver’s seat of the Shane McDowell Racing No. 17 Late Model for a pair of Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals events in Georgia and Tennessee.
The doubleheader will kick off on Friday with the $10,053-to-win opener at North Georgia Speedway (Chatsworth, Ga.) before heading to Tazewell (TN) Speedway on Saturday for the Ray Varner Ford 75. A $20,053 winner’s payday will be up for grabs in the 75-lap A-Main.