IT’S TIME
CORNELIUS, N.C. — The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is ready to hit the track with the sport’s biggest race, the Daytona 500, and Clint Bowyer is ready. The Emporia, Kan., native has yet to win at Daytona International Speedway but has come close. He has two fourth-place finishes (2010 and 2009) in the 500 and also finished fourth in July 2013. Even more encouraging, Bowyer has posted top-10 finishes in the last three restrictor-plate races with two of those finishes third-place runs.
Before the 500, Bowyer gets an opportunity to tune-up his No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota Camry on Feb. 14 in the Sprint Unlimited, a 75-lap specialty race featuring several of the sport’s biggest drivers. The Unlimited kicks off the week’s events including qualifying for the front row of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, the twin qualifying races the following Thursday, culminating in the “Great American Race” on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox.
It is sure to be a busy and exciting year for Bowyer who added a few new titles to his name at the end of last season, including husband, father and champion team owner when his dirt late model team won the championship. He would like nothing more than to add another title to his name Sunday night, Daytona 500 champion.
BOWYER: “We’re going to be in the Sprint Unlimited. Make sure you’re watching that. It’s going to be wild. Hopefully, we can get our first win of the season right off the bat with that. And then go on to win the Daytona 500. That’s what it’s all about.”
CHASSIS
Sprint Unlimited – No. 790
New
Back-Up – No. 754
2014 Daytona Test
2014 May Talladega – 3rd
Daytona 500 – No. 793
New
Back-Up – No. 811
2014 Oct. Talladega– 3rd
2014 July Daytona – 9th
NO. 15 CREW ROSTER
Brian Pattie
Crew Chief
Terry Spalding
Front Tire Changer
Allen Steele
Front Tire Carrier
Lee Cunningham
Rear Tire Changer
P.J. Briody
Rear Tire Carrier
Brian Chase
Jack Man
Evan Marchal
Gas Man
J.D. Frey
Car Chief
Chris Sherwood
Interior Mechanic
Brett Griffin
Spotter
Dax Gerringer
Race Engineer
Tim O’Brien
Race Engineer
Billy Curwood
Race Engineer
Adam Cooke
Shock Specialist
Travis Stock
Rear Mechanic
James Davis
Tire Specialist
Greg Hulls
Engine Tuner
Ray Erwin
Truck Driver
Jeff Shano
Truck Driver
DAYTONA STATS
· Three top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 18 starts
· Completed 3,096 of 3,186 laps (97.2%) and led 151 laps
· Three DNF’s (did not finish) – February 2014, July 2012 and 2011
· Average start 19.0 and average finish 15.9
