Clint Bowyer
No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: Coca-Cola 600 – May 27, 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. 201 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. This is a brand new Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS.
Keep on Rolling … In the season’s first 11 races, Bowyer has earned five top 10s and has only finished outside the top 25 twice. He currently holds a 15.2 starting average and a 16th-place finishing average. The 27-year-old driver has completed 3,578 of the 3,653 total laps run this season (97.95 percent) and is ninth in points following his second consecutive top-10 finish two weeks ago at Darlington. Over those same 11 races last season, Bowyer’s average start was 21.2 coupled with a 19.1 finishing average. He was 16th in points at this time last year.
RCR at Charlotte … In 90 starts at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS), RCR has earned four points-paying victories – all of them coming with Dale Earnhardt. Additionally, RCR boasts 16 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile oval with six different drivers including Earnhardt, Ricky Rudd, Mike Skinner, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton. Richard Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, contributed two of those top 10s from 1978-1979.
Testing One, Two, Three, Testing … Bowyer and the Jack Daniel’s racing team tested at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS) May 7-8 in preparation for the Coca-Cola 600. The test was the fifth of seven allowed under NASCAR’s 2007 testing policy. Last week’s test, originally scheduled for Dover International Speedway, was postponed indefinitely because of the inclement weather two weeks ago at Darlington. The next test on the books for teams in NASCAR’s top division is slated for Talladega Superspeedway September 10-11.
Down and Dirty Across the Street … Bowyer will race his Jack Daniel’s-sponsored dirt late model on Friday night, May 25 at the Dirt Track at Lowe’s Motor Speedway as part of the Goodyear Fastrak Challenge. The winged World of Outlaws sprint cars headline the program with the Goodyear Fastrak Challenge late models serving as the support division.
Since We’re Already at the Race Track … In addition to his duties behind the wheel of the Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet, Bowyer returns to the seat of the No. 2 BB&T Chevy for this weekend’s Busch Series event at LMS. Bowyer has won two of the last four races on the 35-race NASCAR Busch Series tour. Live coverage of the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 will take the green flag Saturday, May 26 at beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The race will be televised live on ESPN2 and broadcast on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 13th race on the 2007 Busch Series calendar is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED the same day at 4 p.m. EDT.
Are you Experienced … Bowyer will appear at the Jack Daniel’s Experience Sunday, May 27 from 2:15 – 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 (POP. 361), Tenn., and the Distillery. The Jack Daniel’s Experience also features a full service bar this weekend– with all proceeds benefiting the Jaycees. The JDX will be located in the display area across the street from the speedway and is open on Thursday from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Catch the Action … The Coca-Cola 600 from Lowe’s Motor Speedway will take the green flag Sunday, May 27 at 5:30 p.m. EDT. Flag-to-flag coverage will be televised live on FOX beginning at 5 p.m. EDT. The race will also be broadcast live on PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 12th points-paying race on the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule will be telecast live on SPEED Thursday, May 24 at 7 p.m. EDT.
CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:
You were 19th a year ago at the Coca-Cola 600, what are your thoughts heading into the longest race of the year?
“It’s a very long race. It gets to be a little bit of a grind but it’s the same for everyone. I think what concerns me the most is a part failure or fatigue on the car. This is a points race and you have to be there at the end to make it count. My plan at the beginning of the year was to top-10 ‘em to death and we’re getting close to that. We had a few weeks where we struggled but we’re getting back to where we were earlier in the year and based on how we ran last weekend in the NEXTEL Open I think we’ll be in good shape.”
You’re also running the Busch race this weekend. That’s 900 miles of racing in two days. That has to take a toll on you both mentally and physically.
“I’ll definitely be worn out but the next day, I’m going to Macon, Ill., with Kenny Wallace to run dirt cars so I guess I can’t get enough of it.”
What do you do to prepare for 900 miles?
“I’ll definitely do my best to stay hydrated. It’s important to keep fluids in your body, eat right and get plenty of rest. Those are the keys. You have to stay physically fit. You can’t go work out two days before and be ready to go, I’ll promise you that. Being comfortable in the race car is also a big part of it. That’s a big thing that I’ve noticed between this year and last year. Last year at Bristol and Martinsville, I was worn out after the race. I was thinking to myself ‘this is ridiculous.’ This year, it didn’t seem to bother me. After Martinsville, I came home and unloaded the dirt car, worked for awhile and then I went out and got something to eat. I wouldn’t have been able to do that last year, so being comfortable and breathing are big things. ”
What do you mean by breathing?
“You get so focused on hitting your line on the race track and not messing up that it’s easy to forget to breathe. You’ll hold your breath and then you’ll be out of breath and all of a sudden you can’t catch up. You have to stay calm, be in control and breathe. That’s how you stay comfortable.”
