News Director 
Column By: ROBERT SYMONDS / RPW – ROSSBURG, OH – “MacDaddy” Dale McDowell had a great run Saturday starting off his night by winning heat race 6 which earned him the pole position for the 54th running of the World 100 in the Shane McDowell-owned 17M Bloomquist Race Car.
For the McDowell’s and everyone watching at Eldora and around the world on FloRacing, nothing would have been more fitting than to see the 17M grab the victory.
However in Dale’s words “it wasn’t meant to be.”
To start the World 100, McDowell led the opening 4 laps then slipped back to second while Alberson took his chance to lead early on. For the longest stretch, McDowell bid his time and would settle into the third position behind Garrett Alberson and Bobby Pierce until Jonathan Davenport made his way by to take third. McDowell only held the 4th position for a short time until he was able to get by Garrett Alberson to retake third.
While Bobby Pierce and Jonathan Davenport continued to remain in the top two, McDowell continued to settle in while slowing gaining ground on the top 2. With 19 laps remaining, McDowell ran the middle of the track and took the second spot away from Davenport. The two would continue running a side by side battle until McDowell used Ross Bailes as a pick to cement his second spot away from JD, even using the top lane to do so.
After clearing Bailes, McDowell made quick work of the last remaining lap car to close in on leader Bobby Pierce. Dale continued running the middle to the bottom side of the speedway and attempted to take the lead back with just 10 laps to go, however Pierce remained strong on the top side of the speedway so he continued to hold the lead.
But not for long. The next time by, Pierce moved off the top to protect the bottom lane but McDowell went lower than the 32 and passed him for the lead with just 8 laps to go. McDowell held the lead until lap traffic once again slowed the 17M. Pierce regained the lead with just 5 laps to go.
Pierce would pull away from McDowell but after clearing lap traffic, McDowell was faster once again and closed back in coming to the checkered flag. Pierce would best McDowell by 2 car lengths or by timing .3 seconds.
“I did everything I could do,” mentioned Dale McDowell on Saturday evening after climbing out of the EZGO 17M. “After I got by JD, I went up to the top and was just a little too tight to run up there. The car was also too tight behind those lappers. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
As many know, Dale was trying to get the win in honor of his friend the late great Scott Bloomquist. The 2024 version of the World 100 was Dale’s 17th consecutive and 25th overall start of the World 100. McDowell last won the World 100 back in 2005.
“This was such an great weekend and a big weekend for Eldora. I can’t thank my brother, our sponsors, and all of the fans for making this possible. We will see you back here in June.”
