Race 2 Win: Busch Series Race Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Sharpie Mini 300 - Clint Bowyer Notes

Clint Bowyer
No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Sharpie Mini 300 – March 24, 2007
Venue: Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tenn.

NOTES:

This Week’s BB&T Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis No. 019 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) stable. This is the same car that Bowyer drove to the Winner’s Circle last fall at Dover International Speedway. Prior to that, this car saw action last season in both races at Bristol (Spring – started fourth, finished 12th, Fall – started third, finished 23rd) at Darlington in May (started 11th, finished 17th) and in June at Dover (started third, finished fourth) as well.

Keep the Fire Burning … In four NBS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS), Bowyer has earned one top-five and three top-15 finishes. While he hasn’t been as consistent as expected at the half-mile, high-banked oval, the Emporia, Kan., driver is looking to carry over his momentum from last week’s race in Atlanta Motor Speedway. Prior to his career-best sixth-place finish last weekend at Atlanta, his best finish at the 1.54-mile raceway was 14th.

Pretty Good Fit … While Bowyer only has four Busch Series starts at BMS, he’s plenty familiar with the challenges high-banked, half-mile ovals present. The 27-year-old racer is the 2002 late model champion at the famed I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Mo.

RCR at Bristol … Richard Childress leads the way for Busch Series car owner victories at Bristol with five – four of them coming with Kevin Harvick and one with Jeff Green. Additionally, RCR boasts 15 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes in 32 starts at “Thunder Valley.”

Double Down Baby … In addition to his duties behind the wheel of the BB&T Chevy, Bowyer will also compete in Sunday’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race behind the wheel of the No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet. Live coverage of the Food City 500 will take the green flag Sunday, March 25 on FOX beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The race will also be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for round five of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Championship is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED Friday, March 23 at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

Catch the Action … Live television coverage of the Sharpie Mini 300 from Bristol Motor Speedway will take the green flag Saturday, March 24 beginning at 2:30 p.m. EDT on ABC. The event will also be broadcast live on PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the sixth race on the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series slate will be televised live on ESPN2 Saturday, March 24 at 11 a.m. EDT.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES
How hard do you have to focus on keeping your temper in check at Bristol?
“You’re trying so hard to pass someone and there’s so little room to get it done, it’s easy to get upset pretty quick and dump a guy. The shoe can be on the other foot, too. You can be holding someone up who’s faster than you are and all of a sudden you’re the one who gets dumped and then you’re really mad. You’re just trying so hard and it’s really close quarters racing, that stuff just happens. There’s really no way around it but I wouldn’t trade it for any place. I like Bristol. It’s a fun race track.”

What was your first impression of Bristol?
“It reminded me of the Coliseum in the movie Gladiator. I don’t have long of an attention span but even I could go to Bristol and watch a race from the grandstands. I’ll never forget my first time on the track. Everyone always told me the first time you go out there and run some laps you won’t breath but I didn’t think too much of it. Well, I went out there and ran about 10 laps and sure enough, I pulled back into the pits and I was worn out. I didn’t breathe for 10 laps. I could barely put one arm in front of the other.”

What’s the key to being fast at Bristol?
“It’s a rhythm track. My teammate Kevin Harvick is really good at Bristol so I’ve learned a lot from him. You have to hit you marks in every corner. If you get out of rhythm a little bit, it usually takes you about a lap or two to get back into your groove. When you catch a car, you have to catch him and go. If you get held up behind someone, you lose your drive and lose your run. You have to time it where you catch someone off the corner and go by.”