Clint Bowyer
No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: Daytona 500 – Feb. 19, 2006
Venue: Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.
NOTES:
This Week’s Race Car at Daytona International Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis
No. 160 from the Richard Childress Racing stable. This is a brand new Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet, custom-built for the Daytona 500.
RCR Rocks Daytona … Dating back to 1986, RCR has won six poles and owns 22 total victories at DIS, including 10 straight (1990-1999) Twin 125 wins with Dale Earnhardt. All totaled, RCR has won five Bud Shootouts, 13 Twin 125 qualifying races, two Pepsi 400s and one Daytona 500. Additionally, Dale Earnhardt Jr., won the February 2002 NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) race at Daytona driving a car fielded by RCR.
The Fast Way Around … While serving as Kevin Harvick’s crew chief at the 2002 Pepsi 400, Bowyer’s crew chief Gil Martin captured the pole after Harvick posted a lap of 48.638 seconds (185.041 mph).
Well tested … During Preseason Thunder, Bowyer posted the eighth-fastest overall speed at Daytona, making a fast lap around the 2.5-mile facility in 48.155 seconds (186.896 mph). At Las Vegas testing, Bowyer posted the 11th-fastest overall speed, lapping the 1.5-mile Sin City oval in 31.964 seconds (168.940 mph.)
Double Down … Bowyer will also race the No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet in the Hershey’s Kissables 300 NBS race at DIS on Saturday, Feb. 18. In addition to his duties in the Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet, Bowyer will also race for a championship on the 35-race Busch Series Tour.
Meet the Driver… Bowyer will appear at the Jack Daniel’s Experience Friday, Feb. 17 from
noon – 12:30 p.m. The Jack Daniel’s Experience will be located in the display area, outside turn four, on speedway property. Autographs are limited and will be available on a first come, first serve basis.
Sign Here … Bowyer will also sign autographs at the Jack Daniel’s souvenir trailer Sunday,
Feb. 19 from 10 – 10:30 a.m. A limited number of tickets to obtain autographs will be available at the trailer the morning of the event.
Catch the Action … The Daytona 500 will be televised live Sunday, Feb. 19 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on NBC and broadcast live on Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite Radio. The Gatorade Duel at Daytona 150-mile qualifying races will take the green flag Thursday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. EST and will be broadcast live on TNT, MRN and XM. Qualifying for the Daytona 500 will air live on NBC, MRN and XM Sunday, Feb. 12 beginning at noon EST.
CLINT BOWYER QUOTES
Considering this is your first Daytona 500, are you pretty geared up to get down Daytona and get going?
”I’m really excited. As a team, we had a really good test at Daytona. We’ve got a really good race car and everything is coming together. The preparation of the race cars has been excellent. We’ve got a lot of new people on the team and I think we’ve rounded up a really good group of guys. It’s important to have the right people surrounding you and we have that.”
There’s been a big jump in speed in all three of RCR’s cars from the test at Daytona last year to this year’s test. Where does that big jump in speed come from?
“It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of all the employees at RCR. We’ve made a lot of gains in a lot of different areas. Our aero program has picked up a lot and so has the engine department. Richard has made a lot of difficult changes, moving personnel around, but they have all been positive changes and for the good. I’m really excited and optimistic about the year we’re going to have.”
What’s the difference between you as a race car driver one year ago and the driver you are today?
“Confidence. That’s the long and short of it. Confidence goes a long way in any sport, especially this one. You have to go out there knowing you can get it done. I proved to myself and I think my success last year proved to a lot of others that I could get the job done. Until you prove it to yourself, in your heart, nothing else really matters.”
Kevin (Harvick) has been with RCR for several years and has more of an aggressive driving style and Jeff Burton has a wealth of experience, a lot of wins and perhaps takes a more conservative approach to his race car. Do you think you’ve got the best of both worlds when it comes to your teammates?
“I think we’ve got really good things on both sides. We’ve got three good crew chiefs with a ton of experience and they’re all working together toward a common goal. We’ve also got three drivers who are willing to work with each other and I think that’s something that RCR hasn’t had on the Cup side in awhile. Those are things that I’m excited about as a rookie driver coming in to the NEXTEL Cup Series. I’ve got two veteran drivers I can bounce things off of when I need some help.”
Is winning Rookie of the Year your number one goal or do you feel like you have bigger things to accomplish?
“The Rookie of the Year is going to be important to all of us rookie drivers. Arguably, it’s the strongest rookie field that the series has ever had. The media is already paying a lot of attention on the rookie battle and I don’t think that’s going to slow down as the year progresses so obviously that’s important. Winning the Busch Series championship is also one of our goals. That’s definitely a sore spot. I’ve got some unfinished business in the Busch garage and it’s something I want to get done. Beyond those two, the big picture is Cup racing. I want to run good. I want those top-10 finishes and I want to knock on the door for top-fives and hopefully get my first win.”
Based on how well you performed in the Busch Series on superspeedways last year, do you feel like you’ve proven yourself to the veterans or do you think you might have a steep hill to climb in that regard?
“The good thing that a lot of us rookies have going for us is we all had the opportunity to race against most of these (NEXTEL Cup) guys in the Busch Series. Every year, we’re seeing more and more Cup drivers are coming down and running those Busch races to get more experience. What that’s done is given us experience racing against those guys and a chance to earn their respect. Now when we get over on the other side of the fence, on their ball field, I think for the most part I’ve gained some of their respect and hopefully I can keep it.”
How would you define a successful Daytona 500? Is winning a reasonable goal?
“It can be done. RCR cars are always pretty strong down there at Daytona. It can definitely be done. The three of us have to work together. We’ve got a good Jack Daniel’s hot rod to take down there and go for it. Obviously, winning is the number one goal but if we can’t do that , we need to make the most out of what we have and hopefully come out of there with a top-five finish.”
Have there been any changes made to the car since it came back from the Daytona test?
“That’s one thing that I really like about Gil Martin. Good is never good enough with him and he’s always working hard to improve upon the car – even if it’s the fastest one there. He definitely came home and worked to improve it in some areas. That’s one thing I never have to worry about. It gives you a lot of confidence in a crew chief when you know good is never good enough.”
