4/15/2023
Dale McDowell
Dale McDowell cruises to $100,000 XR Super Series victory at Volunteer
For the second-time in his career Dale McDowell collected a $100,000 check for a winning performance behind the wheel of his Shane McDowell Racing / E-Z-GO No. 17m Cometic Gaskets/ Klotz Synthetic Lubricants / Team Zero Race Cars / Clements Racing Engine Super Late Model.
Joining his 2014 Dirt Late Model Dream mega win, was a Saturday night domination of the $100,000-to-win XR Super Series Spring Thaw 100 at Volunteer (Tenn.) Speedway. The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer led all 100 laps of the finale to bank the six-figure victory.
“I’m going to be 57 here next month. Really, at my age, you really get to looking at how fortunate we are to do what we love,” McDowell said in Victory Lane. “And it’s really not just people on the car, but people all the way up the ranks that’s gotten me here. It’s huge because you don’t know how many more of these things you can win. You can bet your butt we’re going to enjoy this one tonight.
“All my family’s here. My kids are here. They’re not here very often. They’ve gotten older and they don’t care what dad does. They’re here tonight, Tiffany and the whole family. This is bigger than you guys know.”
Serving as a test session for the upcoming Spring Thaw, Dale McDowell’s week began with a return trip to Volunteer Speedway (Bulls Gap, Tenn.) on Tuesday evening to compete with the XR Workin’ Man Series.
With a unique format setting the grid for the $10,000-to-win A-Main, McDowell laid down the fastest lap amongst a field of 45 cars before picking up a heat and dash victory. Earning the pole for the feature, Dale led the first half of the race but was unable to contain a charging Chris Madden late in the 40-lapper. He followed Madden across the line with Kyle Bronson rounding out the podium.
Back in action on Saturday afternoon after Mother Nature shortened the XR Super Series-sanctioned Spring Thaw 100 to a single day, Dale topped the massive 60-car field in time trials before dashing to a 10-lap heat race win.
Leading all 100 laps from the second-starting position, McDowell flew past Hudson O’Neal for the lead on the opening lap of the feature and weaved through the lapped traffic late to pick up $100,000 payday and his first win of the 2023 campaign.
He finished 1.082 seconds ahead of Mike Marlar with O’Neal, Kyle Bronson, and Tyler Erb completing the top-five finishers.
Full results from the events are available at www.XRWorkinMan.com and www.XRSuperSeries.com.
The team now eyes a tripleheader with the World of Outlaws (Case) Late Model Series in Tennessee and Alabama. Action opens on Thursday night at 411 Motor Speedway (Seymour, Tenn.) with a $10,000-to-win program. On Friday and Saturday McDowell will slide southwest to Talladega Short Track (Eastaboga, Ala.) for the inaugural Alabama Gang 100, which includes twin $4,000-to-win programs on Friday followed by a $50,000-to-win finale on Saturday.
For more information on the weekend’s slate, please visit www.WoOLMS.com.
Article Credit: Michael Moats image
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