Race 2 Win: Nextel All-Star Challenge

Nextel Cup Series

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Nextel All-Star Challenge - Clint Bowyer Notes

Clint Bowyer
No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: NEXTEL Open – May 20, 2006
Venue: Lowe’s Motor Speedway – Concord, N.C.

This Week’s Race Car at Lowe’s Motor Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis No. 156 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new at the end of 2005, this is the same Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Dave Blaney raced last October at Kansas, Charlotte and Atlanta. Blaney also drove this car to a sixth-place finish in last year’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Since then, the chassis has remained intact but the body has been replaced.

The Race … In order to transfer to the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, Bowyer must win the NEXTEL Open or win the coveted fan vote to receive a starting spot in this year’s event. Drivers who are already eligible for the event include race winners from the 2005 and 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup seasons as well as winners of the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge from the past 10 years. Additionally, former series champions from the past 10 seasons who are still active drivers and have competed in at least one NEXTEL Cup race during 2005 or 2006 are eligible.

Different, but the Same … While Bowyer is currently listed in 16th in the NEXTEL Cup championship point standings, he is actually tied for 15th with Elliott Sadler with 1,181 points. Sadler was given the nod for the 15th spot based on his fourth-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500. Bowyer and Sadler have both earned one top-five finish this season; however, Bowyer’s best finish this season was a fifth-place effort at Phoenix. By NASCAR rules, the driver with the highest finish to date is awarded the higher position.

Through the First 11 … Over the course of the first 11 races on the 2006 NEXTEL Cup schedule, Bowyer has produced one top-five and three top-10 finishes. At the same time, the 2006 Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate has led 21 laps and recorded a 21.1 average start and a 19.1 finishing average. He is currently second in Rookie of the Year standings, nine points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

Testing, One, Two, Three, Testing … Bowyer and company tested at Lowe’s Motor Speedway May 2-3 in preparation for the NEXTEL All-Star weekend and next week’s Coca-Cola 600. The 26-year-old driver recorded the fourth-fastest overall speed of the test, lapping the 1.5-mile Concord, N.C., track in 29.365 seconds (183.892 mph). The test was the fourth of six allowed under NASCAR’s 2006 testing policy. The remaining tests available to teams in NASCAR’s top division will be conducted at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 10-12) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Oct. 16-18).

RCR in All-Star Action … RCR boasts three wins in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series All-Star Challenge, all of them coming with Dale Earnhardt (1987, ’90, ’93).

Catch an Inside Look … Bowyer will be featured on this week’s installment of “Hot Shots of NASCAR” on CMT Insider. In addition to Bowyer’s segment, this week’s CMT Insider hits the road with Brad Paisley, explores the music of Johnny Cash’s son John Carter Cash along with profiling singer Jewel. The episode will air Saturday, May 20 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on CMT.

A Short Pause for the Cause … After a grueling start to the season, consisting of 12 NASCAR Busch Series races and 11 NEXTEL Cup events, Bowyer is relieved of his double duty efforts during this weekend’s All-Star activities. The Busch Series has the weekend off.

Meet the Driver … Bowyer will sign autographs at the Jack Daniel’s souvenir trailer Saturday, May 20 from 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. Tickets for autographs will be available at the trailer the day of the race on a first-come-first-serve basis and are limited in supply due to time constraints.

Catch the Action … The NEXTEL Open from Lowe’s Motor Speedway will be telecast live on FX, Saturday, May 20, beginning at 7 p.m. EDT and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series’ All-Star weekend will be televised live on SPEED Friday, May 19 at 6 p.m. EDT and broadcast on MRN and XM Satellite Radio.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:
How crazy does the All-Star Race get?
“The only one I’ve seen was last year’s and it was pretty wild. Hey, for a million bucks, it ought to be wild. Hopefully we can win the NEXTEL Open and advance to the All-Star race. We’ve got a good car so I think our chances are pretty good.”

How well did the test go for your team at Lowe’s Motor Speedway?
“It went really good. We learned a lot and I think we were pretty fast. We tested two cars, one for the NEXTEL Open and one for the Coca-Cola 600, and both cars were really good and showed a lot of promise. We’re all excited to get back down to Charlotte.”

Are you a big fan of the 40-30-20 lap segments for the All-Star Race?
“The first thing we need to do is get in the race, after that, I think the format is neat. I like it. Everything about that race is completely unique and makes you want to be a part of it. I’ve never even come close to racing for that amount of money before so that’s another thing that makes this a cooler-than-usual race. I came from a dirt background and spent a year on asphalt before I started racing Busch cars two years ago, so there weren’t a whole lot of chances to race for the kind of money this thing pays to win. There isn’t much stopping you for a million bucks and if there was, you’d be a fool.”

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