“I Know This Is Crazy but..”: Kyle Petty Makes Huge Michael McDowell Prediction

Michael McDowell’s victory in Indiana last weekend made things incredibly interesting as NASCAR braces itself for an explosive finish to the regular season. With just two races to go, it is all to play for, with plenty of drivers eyeing a win to get into the playoffs. With road course king Chase Elliott back to form, most analysts back the Hendrick driver to grab his first win of the season at Watkins Glen and clinch a spot in the final 16. But not Kyle Petty.

The NASCAR veteran backs Michael McDowell to make it two wins in a row at a track where Elliott has been absolutely dominant, with two wins in the last four races, and 4th being the lowest finish for the #9 driver.

Kyle Petty details why Michael McDowell will win at Watkins Glen

Appearing on Motorsports on NBC, the analyst was asked about his pick to win at Watkins Glen this week, a pivotal race to determine who makes it to the playoffs. Petty said, “I’m gonna tell you something man. I know this is crazy but I’m gonna go Michael McDowell. I’m gonna go two in a row.”

Elaborating on his own experience of being a part of small organizations, he added how Front Row will be charged up after the Indiana weekend, saying, “When you win a race in an organization like Front Row, you cannot believe the momentum. We talk about the momentum at Hendrick, we talk about the momentum at Penske and big teams like that. But in a small team like this, these guys are flying high this week.”

“To know you’ve got Michael McDowell, to know you go head to head with the big organizations and beat them on one of the biggest stages in Motorsports, that gives you a tremendous amount of confidence. So I’ll go with Michael for back-to-back.”

While every race on the calendar is important, Watkins Glen is one race where Chase Elliott is always favored to win. Coupled with the desperate situation he is in, backing McDowell for a back-to-back is a bold prediction indeed.

NASCAR Spotter compares McDowell vs Elliott to David vs Goliath

After the win on Sunday, spotter Brett Griffin was beyond impressed by the Front Row driver, claiming that it was“one of the biggest wins in NASCAR history”.

Griffin claimed that, unlike the Daytona 500 win in 2021, where there was a huge crash on the last lap that led to McDowell claiming the checkered, this win was as dominant as it could come on the track. With no unnecessary cautions, red flags, or crashes, it was a full-on racing clinic put on by McDowell.

With Elliott just behind, McDowell could have flinched. Instead, in this David vs Goliath battle, the FRM driver held his own and claimed his second career win, consequently booking a place in the playoffs.