Clint Bowyer
No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: Sony HD 500 – September 3, 2006
Venue: California Speedway – Fontana, Calif.
NOTES:
This Week’s Race Car at California Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis No. 170 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new for 2006, this is the same Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Bowyer raced to a career-best fourth-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bowyer also raced this car two weeks ago at Michigan and was running third with three laps remaining when the motor let go, ultimately leaving him with a 33rd-place finish.
Batting .1000 … In four starts at California Speedway, including NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series action, Bowyer has completed every lap of competition and has yet to finish worse than 16th.
Back in Black … After showcasing a commemorative “Happy Birthday Jack” paint scheme last weekend at Bristol, the No. 07 Chevy will return to its traditional black and white Jack Daniel’s color scheme this weekend in Fontana.
Big Month for Birthdays … September is a big month for the Jack Daniel’s Racing Team with five members of the team celebrating birthdays. Jackman Carey Wimbish will be 25 on September 13. Pit support specialist Wayne Harron and fabricator Jim Smith share birthdays on September 15. Harron will be 33 and Smith will turn 42. Crew Chief Gil Martin will be 46 on September 17 and rear tire changer Tommy Wallace turns 36 the same day.
California Kids … Two members of “Mr. Jack’s Pit Crew” hail from the Golden State. Engine tuner and gasman Ron Liddell grew up in Redding while mechanic and catch-can man Clint Almquist is originally from Blythe.
Lots of Chances to Meet the Driver … On behalf of primary sponsor Jack Daniel’s, Bowyer will sign autographs at the Ontario Fan Fest Thursday, August 31 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Ontario Fan Fest is being held at the Ontario Convention Center, 2000 East Convention Way, in Ontario, approximately eight miles from California Speedway. Bowyer will also sign autographs at the Jack Daniel’s souvenir trailer Sunday, September 3, from 1:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. Tickets will be available at the trailer the morning of the race and are limited in supply due to time constraints.
Are you Experienced … Following his stop at the souvenir trailer, Bowyer will appear at the Jack Daniel’s Experience for a brief question and answer session from 2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. The Jack Daniel’s Experience is a 53-foot tractor trailer filled with artifacts, state-of-the art video monitors, sound system and graphics to give race fans a taste of Lynchburg and the Distillery. The Jack Daniel’s Experience will be located on speedway grounds outside the front straightaway towards the start/finish line. The JDX will be open Friday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Double Duty in Fontana … Once again, Bowyer returns to the seat of RCR’s No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet for this weekend’s Ameriquest 300 NASCAR Busch Series race at California Speedway. The 27th of 35 Busch races on the 2006 calendar will be televised live on TNT Saturday, September 2 beginning at 10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite Radio. Bowyer is fourth in the NBS championship battle, 104 points out of third and 147 behind second. Bowyer’s RCR teammate Kevin Harvick holds a commanding 519 point lead over Carl Edwards in second place.
Up to Speed … The Sony HD 500 at California Speedway will be televised live on Sunday, September 3 beginning at 7 p.m. EDT on NBC. The race will also be broadcast live on MRN and XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 25th of 36 races on the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series tour begins Friday, September 1 at 6:30 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on SPEED, MRN and XM Satellite Radio.
CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:
Is there any particular fast way around California or a preferred place to be?
“On these big, high-speed tracks like California, you fight being loose getting in the corner because you want to arc your way through the corners really big so you can save your tires. If you can arc it decently getting into the corner, it helps you come across the center of the corner. That way you don’t have to pull on the wheel as hard getting off the corner which helps keep you from burning the right-front (tire) off. Then your tires last longer and you’re faster.”
As well as you’ve run in this car, does that make you that much more excited to get to California?
“It really does. Gil (Martin) and the guys built this car from the ground up, specifically for tracks like Indianapolis, Michigan and California. It has a little different front-end geometry and a body that was built for intermediate-type race tracks. What makes me even more excited is to go to some of these tracks, and run well where RCR had struggled over the past few years. These types of tracks were definitely our Achilles heel. It’s a lot of fun to be competitive at places where we weren’t even an afterthought, much less a threat for the win in recent years. We’ve got three teams that can be threats to win on any given weekend no matter where we race. It’s fun to part of a program like that.”
