Clint Bowyer
No. 07 DIRECTV Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: DIRECTV 500 – April 2, 2006
Venue: Martinsville Speedway – Martinsville, Va.
This Week’s Race Car at Martinsville Speedway … Clint Bowyer will race Chassis No. 136 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Stable. This is the same car Dave Blaney raced last spring in the NEXTEL Open at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Blaney also raced this car last June at Michigan and last November at Phoenix. Since then, with the exception of the chassis’ center section, the car has been completely rebuilt from the ground up, essentially making it a brand new DIRECTV Chevrolet.
First Timer … The DIRECTV 500 will be Bowyer’s first NEXTEL Cup Series start at Martinsville’s half-mile, paper clip-shaped oval. Bowyer has yet to race on the south Virginia track.
From Black to Blue … The No. 07 Chevy will sport a new look this weekend as DIRECTV assumes the primary sponsorship role on Bowyer’s Monte Carlo SS. DIRECTV will also be showcased on his entry in June at Pocono and this fall at Talladega. Bowyer’s customary primary sponsor Jack Daniel’s will be featured on the car’s lower quarter panels and the trunk lid. DIRECTV is also the entitlement sponsor of this weekend’s race.
If not the Driver, Then the Crew Chief … While Bowyer has no experience at Martinsville, his crew chief Gil Martin won the 1994 Advance Auto Parts 500 NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) race with driver Kenny Wallace. The event marked the last time the Busch Series competed at Martinsville.
Truck Drivin’ Man … In preparation for Sunday’s DIRECTV 500, and to compensate for his lack of experience at Martinsville, Bowyer will drive Bobby Dotter’s No. 07 Chevrolet Silverado in Saturday’s Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Jack Daniel’s will be the team’s primary sponsor while the DIRECTV logo will appear on the truck’s lower rear quarter panels.
Testing One, Two, Three, Testing … Bowyer and the No. 2 ACDelco NBS team are testing Richmond (Va.) International Raceway March 28 – 29 in preparation for the May 5 Circuit City 250 NBS race.
Truck Action … The Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from Martinsville Speedway will be televised live on SPEED Saturday, April 1 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The race will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite Radio.
Catch the Cup Race … The DIRECTV 500 from Martinsville Speedway will take the green flag Sunday, April 2 at 2 p.m. EST and will be telecast live on FOX. The event will also be broadcast live on MRN and XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying will air live on SPEED, MRN and XM Satellite Radio Friday, March 31 at 3:30 p.m. EST.
CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:
Since you’ve never raced at Martinsville before, how do you prepare yourself to race at a track where you have a fundamental disadvantage?
“I’ve never even seen the racetrack before. I’m going to watch plenty of tape, I can promise you that. I’m going to run the truck race there so I can gain some experience and get some extra seat time. I’m looking forward to this weekend. It’s pretty close to my house so I’ll be able to sleep in my own bed Thursday night and drive up to the race track Friday morning. Any time I can get an extra day at home is a bonus. It’s nice not to have to travel so far.”
Is Martinsville a race track where the Cup Series should have an extra rookie practice like NASCAR does in the Busch and Truck Series?
“They’re doing that in the Busch Series and it would help. A lot of us Raybestos Rookies have never seen the track before. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve never seen the track so I’d like a rookie practice but it’s probably not going to happen. We’ll just have to get all we can out of that weekend. You can’t be on the hook in the infield, either. As a team, we’ve got to do the best we can and balance off of our resources. I’ve got good teammates who run well there with Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton. I’ll be leaning a lot on my crew chief Gil Martin and his experience. I’ll be using him as much as I can.”
GIL MARTIN QUOTES:
Clint has never seen Martinsville before. How do you prepare him for this weekend?
“We’re hoping having him race the truck will help. It’s not going to be a lot of help for our first time on the racetrack because the Cup cars are on the track before the trucks. We’ve got a lot of videotape for him to watch and review. We’re just trying to do the best we can as far as getting him used to the track. I think when the race comes around he’ll be fine.”
How big of a disadvantage is it not being able to test there?
“It’s huge, because of the fact that he has never seen Martinsville and because of the type of track it is. Martinsville is such a finesse track and you’ve got to really master the track itself, more than just racing the place. It’s going to be a huge disadvantage to all the Raybestos Rookies who’ve never been there.”
Other than the truck race and film, what else are you doing to prepare him?
“Basically just talking to him about it and having him talk to Jeff Burton as much as we can because he’s raced there a lot. We’re trying to get him ready in that way as well.”
Is there any substitute for seat time at Martinsville?
“Not really. The only simulation we’ve been using is Playstation and he can’t seem to make 10 laps on that [laughs]. I hope that’s not an indication of what’s going to happen.”
