Michael McDowell and J.J. Yeley have a few things in common.
They’re both from the Phoenix area. Yeley’s hometown is Phoenix; McDowell hails from Glendale.
They’re both driving for smaller teams with two or fewer cars. Yeley drives for Tommy Baldwin Racing, McDowell for Phil Parsons Racing. And they both scored top-10 finishes in the Daytona 500, and ride into Phoenix on a wave of momentum.
McDowell finished a career-best ninth in The Great American Race. His previous best finish was 20th at Richmond International Raceway in 2008. Yeley’s top-10 Daytona 500 finish was the eighth of his career, and first since June of 2008. He finished 10th on Sunday.
And, of course, you have Danica Patrick, an honorary Phoenix native. Though born in Roscoe, Ill., Patrick resides in both Phoenix and Chicago. And, clearly, she enjoys the home-track advantage.
Last November’s race marked a then-series-best for the Daytona 500 pole winner and top-10 finisher. She finished 17th in her second start with current Stewart-Haas Racing crew chief Tony Gibson, her current best series performance on a non-plate track.
Patrick made all kinds of history on Sunday, becoming the first female to leads laps in the Daytona 500, the first female to score a top-10 in the 500, and the 13th driver to lead both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. Patrick led five laps on Sunday, which put her on a list with only five other drivers who have led five laps in both races. A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Robby Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart are the others.
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