JTG Daugherty Racing will continue Nationwide program for now
JTG Daugherty Racing's Michael McDowell is 11th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings after 17 races this season. // Gary Shook, NASCAR Scene
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – JTG Daugherty Racing will show up at Chicagoland Speedway for the Nationwide Series race next week but how much it will race in the event and whether Michael McDowell will be in the seat remains to be seen.
Funding to field a competitive ride for McDowell has run out, but team co-owner Tad Geschickter said Friday night the No. 47 car will show up at Chicagoland.
The team has funding for Marcos Ambrose to drive in the two road-course races later this year. The team has several drivers under contract, including Kelly Bires and Coleman Pressley.
McDowell is 11th in the driver standings and the No. 47 team is 16th in the team standings.
“We’ve got to keep showing up,” Geschickter said Friday night. “We want to race and race hard. We’ve got a few meetings this week and we’ll see what comes with it.
“We’ve got several drivers under contract right now. We’ll see what transpires in the next couple of days. We’re not without hope.”
McDowell said he is unsure what is going to happen.
“We’re still working hard,” McDowell said. “There’s enough in the hopper that it could happen. Tad has been great to me and this whole program. He’s done everything he said he would do for me.
“If we have to put somebody else in, it would be a financial decision or just to keep the points going. … Who knows? I might be in somebody else’s car or somebody might be in the 47. I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s not us parting ways. It’s just trying to keep me going in the driver points and keep Tad going in the owner points. For the amount of money we spent compared to who we’re racing against, we overachieved by 10 spots.”
