Five Drivers Who Could Easily Miss Daytona 500 Field

No. 3- No. 95 Michael McDowell Levine Family Racing Ford

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Michael McDowell’s entry into this year’s Daytona 500 looked promising. After a pretty impressive 2014 season his Levine Family Racing team kept their association with Team Penske and looked to have a lot of speed coming into Speedweeks 2015.

The team started the 2014 season by missing the Daytona 500 and to prevent themselves from having the same fate in the 2015 season they need to run hard in their Budweiser Duel on Thursday. The team ran 19 races in 2014 and attempted 22 races, which was good enough for a 43rd in owner points in 2014. His qualifying speed was only good enough for 39th.

That means the team has to race their way into to Daytona 500 via their Gatorade Duel. With six cars going home anyone 35th or lower in owner points can’t feel good about their position and the same goes if you are also 35th or lower in qualifying. McDowell is on the wrong end of both of those.

McDowell has made the Daytona 500 three times in his career including a ninth place finish for Phil Parsons Racing back in 2013. In July 2014, McDowell and his No. 95 team finished an impressive seventh at Daytona International Speedway showing speed throughout the race. It’s hard to believe with all that success McDowell is still within a good run on Thursday to make the Daytona 500.