Clint Bowyer
No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: NEXTEL Open / NEXTEL All-Star Challenge – May 19, 2007
Venue: Lowe’s Motor Speedway – Concord, N.C.
This Week’s Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet at Lowe’s Motor Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis No. 165 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new last season, this is the same Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Bowyer raced last March in Atlanta (St. 16 – Fn. 27), in May at Charlotte (St. 15 – Fn. 19) and at Michigan (St. 9 – Fn. 39) last June. Since then, the car has been outfitted with all the required 2007 updates including a new body.
The Race … In order to transfer to the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, Bowyer must win or finish second in the NEXTEL Open or win the coveted fan vote. Drivers who are already eligible for the event include race winners from the 2006 and 2007 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 and have competed in at least one NEXTEL Cup race during 2006 or 2007 are eligible. RCR drivers Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick are both in the field for the annual all-star race.
RCR in All-Star Action … RCR boasts three wins in the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, all of them coming with Dale Earnhardt (1987, ’90, ’93).
Time to Make Their Mark … “Mr. Jack’s Crew” will participate in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Pit Crew Challenge Wednesday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The Jack Daniel’s racing team secured its spot in the competition by virtue of its ninth-place standing in the NEXTEL Cup points. Seating is general admission and tickets are available online for $15 at www.pitcrewchallenge.com, or by calling 1-800-495-2295. The grand-prize for the winning seven-person, over-the-wall team is $70,300, with individual position champions being awarded $10,000 each.
Crew Chief Classic … Crew chief Gil Martin will join his fellow NEXTEL Cup Series crew chiefs when they trade in their wrenches for driving suits and helmets for the inaugural NEXTEL Cup crew chief race on Saturday, May 19. Utilizing a Thunder Roadster manufactured by 600 Racing and decaled to replicate the paint scheme of the Jack Daniel’s Chevy Monte Carlo, Martin will compete in a 30-minute program that will include two qualifying heats and a feature race. All the action will take place on the quarter-mile oval, located on the frontstretch of Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The event will be the featured pre-race entertainment for the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and will be televised live during NASCAR RaceDay on SPEED beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
Testing One, Two, Three, Testing … Bowyer and the Jack Daniel’s racing team tested at Lowe’s Motor Speedway May 7-8 in preparation for NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and next weekend’s Coca-Cola 600. The test was the fifth of seven allowed under NASCAR’s 2007 testing policy. This week’s test, originally scheduled for Dover International Speedway, was postponed indefinitely because of the inclement weather last weekend at Darlington. The next test on the books for teams in NASCAR’s top division will be at Talladega Superspeedway September 10-11.
Up to Speed … Live coverage of the NEXTEL Open and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge from Lowe’s Motor Speedway will take the green flag Saturday, May 19 beginning at 7 p.m. EDT. The race will be televised live from coast-to-coast on SPEED and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the NEXTEL Open and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge can be seen live on SPEED Friday, May 18 beginning at 6 p.m. EDT.
CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:
Typically, guys who have transferred into the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge from the NEXTEL Open have been in pretty good shape.
“It’s no different than running a consolation race at a dirt track. It just gives you that much more time on the race track. You might be able to make that one little extra adjustment that can either make or break you in the feature. Basically, it amounts to extra seat time and extra practice as long as you can keep the fenders on it. “
It has to be pretty cool for a guy who grew up racing on dirt to have a chance to potentially get in a race that pays $1 million to win.
“A million bucks to win – that’s a lot of money! There are no friends in that race. Hopefully, I can win the NEXTEL Open or finish second at the very least so I can transfer into the big race. That’s a little more money than you can make on an average Friday or Saturday night. I think the most I ever raced for on dirt was $10,000. I can buy some cool toys and have a lot of fun with a million bucks!”
