Continued: Michael McDowell walks away from tumbling crash in Texas

"With the initial hit and everything that happened after, I'm real happy he walked away," said Carl Edwards, who qualified second in a run before McDowell's accident. "I'm surprised he's not hurt in any way. That's a testament to the safety equipment."

McDowell made his Cup debut last week at Martinsville. A developmental driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, he was promoted to the Cup level to fill a hole in the lineup created when Dale Jarrett retired.

The 23-year-old McDowell had a decent run — he finished 26th — but drew the ire of several veterans for not moving out of the way and holding them up. McDowell has just four career starts in the Nationwide Series, and most of his experience is in ARCA.

Based on owner points, McDowell will start 40th in the backup car for the Samsung 400 on Sunday.

McDowell appeared to be slightly limping when he first got out of the car, but he said he felt better after walking around a bit. He said he was aware of what was going on while his car tumbled down the track.

"I should have, but I didn't close my eyes. I just kind of rode it out," he said. "It wasn't a fun ride, that's for sure. I stand here with a smile on my face because I'm fortunate."

Recent Motorsports stories

Highs and lows of first half of NASCAR season - April 4, 2008

Highs and lows of first half of NASCAR season - NASCAR's "regular season" has hit its halfway point and the season has been fairly memorable so far. Here are some highs and lows from the Sprint Cup season. More