Race 2 Win: Sprint Cup Series Race Notes

Sprint Cup Series

Kobalt Tools 500 - Clint Bowyer Notes

Clint Bowyer
No. 07 DIRECTV Chevrolet Impala SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Kobalt Tools 500 – March 9, 2008
Venue: Atlanta Motor Speedway – Hampton, Ga.

NOTES:

This Week’s DIRECTV Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis No. 237 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) stable. Built new for 2008, this is the same DIRECTV Chevrolet Impala SS Bowyer raced to a 19th-place finish two races ago in California.

From Black to Blue … For the second time in three weeks, Bowyer’s No. 07 Chevy will feature a blue and white DIRECTV paint scheme. Jack Daniel’s, Bowyer’s traditional primary sponsor, will be featured on the car’s deck lid and lower-rear quarter panels. DIRECTV is the leading digital TV provider dedicated to the best entertainment experience available. With more than 16.8 million customers, DIRECTV is the industry leader in satellite service.

Spin to Win with DIRECTV … DIRECTV will strategically place four Mobile Pit Boxes throughout the Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) concourse and display area for fans to enjoy a free preview of NASCAR HotPass™ Only on DIRECTV. At the Mobile Pit Boxes, fans also have the opportunity to play DIRECTV’s Spin to Win game. With one spin of the prize wheel, fans will win one of five great prizes: a DIRECTV Hat, a DIRECTV Diecast Replica Car, a free Fanview rental for the weekend - an exclusive DIRECTV offer, or the chance for an instant seat upgrade to the DIRECTV Zone. Winner’s who are upgraded to the DIRECTV Zone will enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the track from the infield, complete with catering, the chance to meet Bowyer, and watch NASCAR HotPass™ Only on DIRECTV on one of nine flat screen High Definition TVs at the Zone.

Tale of the Tape … In four NSCS races at AMS, Bowyer has consecutive sixth-place finishes to call a career-best. The 28-year-old driver logged back-to-back sixth-place showings last season at AMS. Meanwhile, Bowyer has an 18.8 starting average and a solid 16th-place average finish. He also recorded a sixth-place finish in last March’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Atlanta. In three events at AMS in NASCAR’s top-two divisions last season, Bowyer finished sixth in all three.

A Look Back … Last weekend in Las Vegas, Bowyer was forced to start the race from the rear of the field after the No. 07 team unloaded its backup car. The Emporia, Kan., native made hard contact with the turn 2 fence near the end of Saturday’s final practice session and the damage was too extensive for repairs. The back up car was brand new and had yet to see any laps on the race track prior to green flag. Despite losing two laps early in the race as a result of an exceptionally temperamental-handling race car, Bowyer and company kept their collective heads in the game and logged a hard-earned 28th-place finish.

A Look Way Back … After the season’s first three races last year, Bowyer had an 11th-place starting average and a 20th-place average finish and was 18th in points. This season, the third year NSCS wheelman has logged an 18.3 starting average and a 23.3 average finish and is 23rd in points. With his sixth-place finish last spring, Bowyer left AMS ninth in points.

Testing One, Two, Three – Testing … Bowyer and company tested the Chevrolet Impala SS on Atlanta’s 24-degree banked race course for two days last October following the Pep Boys Auto 500.

Testing Part Two … Following last weekend’s UAW-Dodge 400 in Las Vegas, Bowyer and his Gil Martin-led team spent Monday and Tuesday testing at Phoenix International Raceway. The test was the fourth of six allowed under NASCAR’s 2008 testing guidelines. The remaining tests available to teams in NASCAR’s top division will be conducted at Pocono Raceway May 27-28 and Lowe’s Motor Speedway Sept. 23-24.

RCR in the ATL … In 99 starts at AMS, RCR has earned four poles and nine wins including Kevin Harvick’s emotional victory in the Cracker Barrel 500 on March 11, 2001. Prior to that, Dale Earnhardt won eight times at the ultra-fast Hampton, Ga., track. Additionally, RCR boasts 25 top-five and 42 top-10 finishes at AMS. Meanwhile, RCR prepared race cars have also led 2,695 laps at the 1.54-mile quad-oval. Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, recorded his best finish at Atlanta with a ninth-place effort in the Atlanta Journal 500 on Nov. 2, 1980.

Keep on Rolling … Bowyer has been running at the end of every race dating back to Phoenix in November 2006, a streak of 40 races. The only other driver running at the end of more consecutive races is his teammate Kevin Harvick who owns a streak of 47 events without a did not finish (DNF).

Double Time in Hotlanta … In addition to his duties behind the wheel of the DIRECTV Chevrolet, Bowyer will also race the No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in Saturday’s Nicorette 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race. Flag-to-flag coverage will be televised live Saturday, March 8 on ESPN2 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The race will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network (PRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the fourth stop on the 2008 NNS schedule will be televised the same day on SPEED beginning at 9 a.m. EST. PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio will provide live qualifying updates.

Up to Speed … Live coverage of Kobalt Tools 500 from Atlanta Motor Speedway will be televised on FOX Sunday, March 9 beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The race will be broadcast live on PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the fourth points-paying event on the 2008 Sprint Cup Series calendar will be televised live on SPEED Friday, March 7 beginning at 6:30 p.m. EST.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES
Are your nervous at all about the new style car this weekend? This will be the truest high-speed test of this car.
“We had a chance to test the new car at Atlanta and I feel like we were pretty decent. I’m looking forward to the race. I think we learned a lot and have a lot of different directions that we can go depending on the circumstances.”

Loose is usually fast but is it a little scarier with the new car?
“Well, that’s the thing, loose isn’t necessarily fast anymore. You have to be perfect with the new car. You can’t be too loose. Last year, with the old car, you could be loose and it was fast. That’s just not the case anymore with this car.”

What is it about the number six? You were sixth in the Nationwide race last year and sixth in both Cup races?
“Man, I don’t know. Hopefully, we can fix that. Getting into the top five is the goal. If we can start running in the top five consistently, we’re going to knock on the door for wins. That’s what we aim to do. We have to pick it up a little bit and we’ll be in good shape.”