Race 2 Win: Checker Auto Parts 500

Nextel Cup Series

Checker Auto Parts 500 - Clint Bowyer Notes

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

Event/Date: Checker Auto Parts 500 – November 12, 2006
Venue: Phoenix International Raceway – Avondale, Ariz.

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Phoenix International Raceway … Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis No. 141 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. This is the same car Bowyer made his NEXTEL Cup debut with last April at Phoenix and raced to a fifth-place finish earlier this season at the same track. He also finished 10th with this Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet in May at Richmond. Most recently, Bowyer raced this car to a 24th-place finish in September at New Hampshire. Additionally, Dave Blaney raced the car last May at Richmond, both races at New Hampshire, last June at Pocono and last October at Martinsville.

Negative Ghostrider, the Pattern is Full … On Wednesday, November 8, Bowyer, along with his crew chief Gil Martin, are scheduled to fly the friendly skies in F-16s courtesy of the 56th Fighter Wing based out of Luke Air Force Base in Goodyear, Ariz. Luke Air Force Base is the largest and only active-duty F-16 training base in the world with more than 200 F-16s assigned. The host command at Luke is the 56th Fighter Wing, under Air Education and Training Command's 19th Air Force. More than 470 pilots graduate from Luke annually and proceed to combat assignments throughout the world. The 56th Fighter Wing also trains more than 700 maintenance technicians each year. The unique opportunity presented itself back in April when Bowyer visited Luke on behalf of PIR’s “Salute to Military Families” program.

Rookie of the Race … Bowyer was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race last weekend in the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. He finished fifth, his fourth top-five and 10th top-10 of the 2006 season. He scored his first top-five finish since he placed third Labor Day Weekend at California Speedway. It was the eighth time this season Bowyer earned top rookie honors. He also earned Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors with his fifth-place effort at Phoenix in April. The Emporia, Kan., native is currently second in the Rookie of the Year standings – 51 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

RCR at PIR … In 39 races at Phoenix, RCR has earned two wins including Kevin Harvick’s first win of 2006 at PIR in April. Prior to that, Dale Earnhardt won the Checker 500 on November 4, 1990. Additionally, RCR boasts nine top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at the one-mile desert-oval.

Double Duty in the Desert … Bowyer returns to the seat of the No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet for this weekend’s Arizona Travel 200 NASCAR Busch Series race. The 34th of 35 races on the 2006 calendar gets underway Saturday, November 11 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and will be televised live on NBC. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and XM Satellite Radio will also carry the race broadcast live. Bowyer is currently third in the Busch Series point standings – 101 points behind Carl Edwards for second. Kevin Harvick locked up his second Busch Series driver’s championship three races ago at Charlotte. Harvick recorded his ninth win of the season last weekend at Texas and this weekend can tie the single-season Busch Series win record set by Sam Ard in 1983.

Meet the Driver … Bowyer will sign autographs Sunday, November 12 from 10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. at the Jack Daniel’s souvenir trailer. A limited number of tickets to obtain autographs will be available at the trailer the morning of the event and are limited in supply due to time constraints.

Catch the Action … Live coverage of the Checker Auto Parts 500 from Phoenix International Raceway will take the green flag Sunday, November 12 beginning at 2:30 p.m. EST and will be televised live on NBC. The event will also be broadcast live on the MRN and XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the second-to-last NEXTEL Cup Series race on the 2006 schedule will air live on SPEED, MRN and XM Satellite Radio Friday, November 10 at 5 p.m. EST. CLINT BOWYER QUOTES
RCR has been strong on flat race tracks this year. Do you like your chances going back to Phoenix this weekend?
“All the crew chiefs at RCR have worked really hard to put together good setups for the flat tracks. I think Phoenix should be a good race not only for me, but for Jeff (Burton) and Kevin (Harvick), as well. We had a really good weekend in the spring. The car was fast all weekend. We practiced and qualified well and got our first top five of the season. That’s one of the tracks that I’m looking forward to going back to for the second time. If we can get a win before the end of the season, I think Phoenix is a place where we have a good shot. Our flat, one-mile program has been really good at RCR this year.”