Getty Michael McDowell prepares for a race at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Michael McDowell has weighed in on the rumors of Montreal’s return to the NASCAR schedule. He has made it clear that he would be a big fan of bringing the track back for more events.
There have been rumors of Montreal’s return to the NASCAR schedule since June 7 when the Sports Business Journal reported that there were negotiations taking place focused on a potential Cup Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. There is no guarantee that NASCAR completes this deal, but there is a scenario where McDowell competes at the track once again, albeit for the first time in the Cup Series.
“Yeah, it’s awesome. It was a great race, great crowd, awesome town — everything about that race was a lot of fun,” McDowell said during a media session on June 27. “I don’t know if you call it a street race, but it’s kind of on its island there in a park, but it’s a proper racetrack with a decent amount of run-off and some tricky areas.
“I always enjoyed it, and I think our Next Gen cars would put on a great race there, especially with the long straightaways and really aggressive brake zones. It would be a lot of fun. As far as whether or not that’s happening, I haven’t been in any of those conversations. I hear the same rumors that you all hear. But, I hope so. It would be a cool event, for sure.”
McDowell Made Multiple Starts at the Montreal Road Course
GettyMichael McDowell prepares for a race in Montreal.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series competed at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve six total times between 2007 and 2012. McDowell was able to compete in four of these events while driving for multiple organizations.
The Arizona native made his debut at the road course during the 2009 season. He started 32nd overall in the No. 96 Whitney Motorsports Dodge, and he raced his way to an 11th-place finish. He then returned in 2010 with MacDonald Motorsports, but he finished 37th due to a mechanical issue.
McDowell’s best two starts at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve took place in 2011 and 2012. He drove for Joe Gibbs Racing in both events, and he delivered top-10 finishes. He was third overall in 2011 behind winner Marcos Ambrose and runner-up Alex Tagliani. McDowell then finished sixth in 2012 while Justin Allgaier celebrated the win.
A Return to Montreal Would Continue a Recent Trend
There were decades when NASCAR shied away from mixing up the schedule. The drivers and teams went to the same tracks at the same times while battling for wins and points.
The recent seasons have marked a major change. NASCAR has completely mixed up the schedule with new additions and alternate versions of existing tracks. The Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum, the weekend at Circuit of the Americas, the Bristol Dirt Race, and the return of Nashville Superspeedway are only some of the examples.
One other prominent addition to the schedule is the upcoming Chicago Street Race. The NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers will compete on the streets of a major United States city for the first time while putting their battles in front of thousands of potential new fans.
Will this event be a success? That answer remains unknown. However, there are some drivers that have expressed the opinion that the bold moves are a great move for the continued success of NASCAR. McDowell is a member of this group.
“I like mixing it up, I like new venues,” McDowell said in a release from Ford. “But, I’m biased toward road courses too. I think that this Next Gen car allows opportunities to explore new venues. I don’t think the old car would have been even really a possibility at Chicago, just turning radius and overall toughness of the car clipping barriers and stuff like that.
“I’m excited that we’re mixing it up. I’m excited that we have some new tracks. I think keeping that fresh and keeping it moving is good. Sometimes, I feel like we may do things for too long. Moving it around is a good thing.”