Michael McDowell clinches NASCAR playoffs spot with crucial win at Brickyard

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Michael McDowell guaranteed himself a spot in the NASCAR playoffs on Sunday with a win on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

McDowell, who missed the playoffs last year, held off Chase Elliott, teammate Daniel Suarez, Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman on his way to Victory Lane at the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard. It was his second career win on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. His first was the 2021 Daytona 500.

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Michael McDowell poses with the trophy after winning the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

"It’s such a dream come true," the 38-year-old driver said. "Man, we had a fast Ford Mustang. … We executed. We did what we needed to do – just so thankful to still be grinding it out in the Cup Series. To put on a performance like that, I don’t know if it was dominant, but it felt pretty dominant to me."

McDowell led 54 out of the 82 laps after starting the race in fourth. He finished less than a second in front of Elliott. He also picked up a victory in Stage 1.

He needed the win as he entered the race in a crucial battle for the 13th spot in the playoffs.

Michael McDowell makes a pit stop during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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"I thought we could point our way in, but after the car that we had yesterday in practice, I thought, ‘Man, we got a good shot at winning if we could just get track position and maintain it,’" he added. "Yeah, I