NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
AAA 400
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 2, 2015
It was announced today that Clint Bowyer will drive a Chevrolet SS for HScott Motorsports in 2016.
Transcript Below:
HARRY SCOTT, JR.: “It’s my pleasure this afternoon to announce that Clint Bowyer will be driving for HScott Motorsports in 2016. Clint is a 10 year veteran that brings leadership, experience and winning ways to our organization. Clint’s personality and enthusiasm for racing is going to be something we are going to welcome to our organization. Although he will be with us only for one year we plan to make the most out of it on and off the track. Our goal next year will be to win races, to make the Chase and contend for a championship. I’m equally excited to announce that 5-Hour Energy, his long-term sponsor, will return for his tenure with us as his primary sponsor in 2016. Clint and 5-Hour Energy have formed a very special relationship and partnership over the past four years and Clint and 5-Hour Energy have become synonymous in the garage and among millions of race fans. When I started this team two years ago, I did so with the goal of organically building an organization that would one day content for championships in the Sprint Cup Series. Now, with Clint as our driver, sponsorship with 5-Hour Energy, our relationship with Chevrolet, with Mr. Hendrick and his organization and with Stewart-Haas Racing I feel that we have all the ingredients necessary to achieve that goal. It’s a very big day for our organization.”
RISE MEGULAR: “5-Hour is very excited about this because we get to keep our brand ambassador who we have really enjoyed the relationship over the years. We were obviously disappointed when the announcement was made at MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) because we did build a lot of good relationships there, but we are very excited to be with Harry Scott and Clint at the new race team.”
CLINT BOWYER: “What a whirlwind year to say the least. The neat thing about all of this is you build these relationships, these partners with the sponsors and I’ve never had one like I’ve had with Rise and everybody at 5-Hour Energy. It’s a family, that relationship, the bond there is second to none to anything I’ve ever seen in the sport. With that you go through these trying times and the uncertainties and what next, what does this mean? The neat thing is there is always that phone call to Rise and she has that same question to you back. That is the good thing about all of this. That being said with the announcement Wednesday of going to be in Tony Stewart’s ride, alright now we have to figure out what are we going to do next year? How are we going to make next year the biggest splash possible for not only myself, but for 5-Hour Energy? Harry Scott was the lead candidate in all of that. It’s kind of weird as we have gone through this together there has always been that door that opens the easiest. Harry Scott was definitely that. I’m looking forward to the marriage that he has with Hendrick, with Stewart-Haas, that is very strong and it’s something that I’m looking forward to building on. I just think that is where we are going to have our success. Harry is a young, very aggressive owner that we need in this sport and to have this together and tie my name to HScott Motorsports is something I’m looking forward to and get back to our winning ways.”
WHAT DO YOU SEE THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A DRIVER OF CLINT’S QUALITY AND WHAT CAN HE BRING TO YOUR ORGANIZATION THAT WILL THEN TURN AROUND AND HELP IT LONG-TERM?
SCOTT: “I think Clint will help us long-term because he is basically going to be able to help us kind of reset our program and set the bar higher going forward. With his experience, again, and his leadership and his enthusiasm I think it will be contagious amongst all the team members. I think going forward he will help us form an even stronger relationship with Stewart-Haas and that will obviously be beneficial to us.”
ON A PERSONAL LEVEL WHAT DO YOU FEEL OF TONY STEWART’S ANNOUNCEMENT AND WHAT HE HAS MEANT TO YOUR CAREER?
BOWYER: “That was a hard thing for me. It’s obviously a once in a lifetime opportunity, but with that opportunity you lose one of the boys, like I said Wednesday. That is a champion of the sport, a guy that I’ve always enjoyed just because of our backgrounds. With that look at the wonderful opportunities that have happened because of all this, that is that first opportunity that came Wednesday and then this. Just like what was asked of Harry a minute ago, what does this mean long-term, this means for me to answer that question and allude to what he said, I don’t want to leave Harry with nothing at the end of this. We are going to build a great program here and when I leave there I want to be able to leave there him having a winning organization and an established team to where he can put the next driver in and go for broke just like he did with us. That is what I want to do with HScott Motorsports next year.”
WHAT IS THE DOWNSIDE OF ONLY GETTING TO RACE ONE YEAR WITH AN ORGANIZATION KNOWING YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE THERE THE FOLLOWING YEAR?
BOWYER: “Anything can be a downside if you allow it to. It’s going to take hard work and dedication. It’s going to take funding. We have to have all these and we have all that put in place at HScott Motorsports. I’ve got the best of the best when you talk about equipment. We’ve got Hendrick engines; we’ve got ties to Stewart-Haas Racing. These are the guys that are winning the races. I now have that bond, that connection to this kind of equipment. So, for me as a racecar driver that is huge. I think there isn’t a downfall. When I look at next season I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. There is not any pressure. We are building…you know Harry has got a wonderful organization. Look he’s spread clear across this sport in so many ways, Xfinity, Cup, his K&N; he is spread so drastically across this sport it’s neat to be a part of that. I mean I want to do more racing. I’m a race fan if I can’t be a part of it I want to be helping his K&N guys, helping the Xfinity program and being a part of all that. I’m looking forward to it.”
CLINT MENTIONED WHEN HE HAS A QUESTION, HE CALLS YOU. AS THE BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR 5-HOUR ENERGY, THOSE PHONE CALLS I IMAGINE COULD COME AT ANY HOUR OF THE DAY?
MEGULAR: “Yes they can come at any hour of the day for sure. But he is a great brand ambassador for 5-hour, the relationship has been wonderful and with our customers, they support him 100%. Our company supports him and he has just done a great job for us for the last four years.”
ARE WE LOOKING AT THREE TEAMS NEXT YEAR AT HARRY SCOTT MOTORSPORTS AND FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR DO YOU STAY AT THREE TEAMS OR ARE YOU GOING BACK TO TWO?
SCOTT: “We really haven’t ruled out anything for 2016 or beyond. So I am not prepared to give you and answer on that because I simply don’t know at this point.”
AT 36 CAN YOU TALK ABOUT ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE IN FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW AND HAVING THE TYPE OF STABILITY NOW TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU SET FORTH TO DO YEARS AGO. IS THIS GOING TO FINALLY GIVE YOU YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO FINALLY MAKE YOUR MARK IN THE SPORT?
BOWYER: “Absolutely. I mean arguably this is the best opportunity that I have had in my whole career. It starts here at HScott Motorsports and it keeps building and that is the neatest thing about all of this. I loved the opportunity that I had with the people and the culture at MWR. It was a great opportunity for both Rise and I. That day is over with and that brings nervous times, for a race car driver or anybody. So, you have lost your job. What does that mean? What do we do? To be coming out of all of that and smell like a rose, like I said Wednesday, is amazing. It truly has become the best opportunity that I have ever had to win races and competing for a championship.”
I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THE PEOPLE AT YOUR COMPANY AND FOR YOU CLINT, ARE YOU BRINGING ANYONE FORWARD WITH YOU TO SEE THE ORGANIZATION OR ARE YOU UNDECIDED AT THIS POINT?
BOWYER: “Of course, on my side, there are a lot of people that are at MWR. There are so many quality people and obviously it means a lot to me that they land in good homes. And I am trying to do everything that I can do to help them as well. But I mean, hell, let’s face it I had to take care of Clint for a little while. I didn’t know what Clint was going to do but now that this is set in stone, announced and we know all the pieces of the puzzle are put together. Now obviously my focus now is to make sure that everybody gets a good home.”
WHEN 5-HOUR ENERGY MOVES OVER TO STEWART HAAS RACING DO YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN THEN?
MEGULAR: “Right now we are just concentrating on 2016 and we will announce and decide on 2017….we have plenty of time to do that.”
WORKING WITH A RATHER YOUNG TEAM, HAVE YOU COMPARED YOURSELF TO KASEY KAHNE AND KURT BUSCH IN WHAT THEY DID A FEW YEARS AGO?
BOWYER: “Yeah, I do. I talk to Kasey. Kasey and I are really close and I asked him about this very opportunity. He went through it and he landed at a great home. I don’t look at it as just filling that void. I think this is an opportunity to take advantage of something. When I walked into MWR things were hitting on all eight cylinders and they were running good and we capitalized on it. We took advantage, we won three races and we ended up finishing second in the championship that year. It was a great opportunity and I see that opportunity at HScott Motorsports. They are ready, they have the people in place and they have all the pieces to the puzzle. Addington is a winning crew chief and is steering the ship and I am looking forward to pouncing on and capitalizing on that opportunity.”
YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU THOUGHT THIS WOULD RESTART OR REBOOT THE PROGRAM. WHY AREN’T YOU GUYS AS FAR AHEAD AS YOU WANTED TO BE? IS IT THE DRIVERS, OR THE FUNDING, OR THE CARS?
SCOTT: “I think a lot of it has to do with just being a young race team. We haven’t had our full second season yet. So a lot of it comes with trying to get the guys together and getting them gelled with drivers that are relatively inexperienced. Since I have bought Phoenix Racing in September of 2013, we have basically replaced everything there. We have new cars, we have new simulation, new guys working together and so when you try to put all that together, it takes a while to get it all to mesh. There has been some of that and there has been some luck that has been less than great. But overall with where we have come in the last two years, if you step back and look at it, I think it’s pretty amazing. I think we are in an upwards trajectory and to me that makes me more optimistic than anything else.”
WHAT IS IT ABOUT CLINT BOWYER THAT KEEPS 5-HOUR ENERGY COMING BACK?
MEGUIAR: “Clint is just great with our customers. He works really well with our customers. He goes above and beyond at our hospitality trailer at events that we ask him to go to. He never counts, like how many he’s done before; he’s just always there to help us. And his personality is dynamic. Our customers love him. They have a great time around him. And our company has a great time with him. All-around, he’s a good fit. When we hire people at our company, the first thing we look at is do they fit in our organization as a person and the personality. That’s what we did when we were looking at drivers and he just fit perfect.”
HOW MANY RACES WILL 5-HOUR ENERGY BE ON THE CAR IN 2016?
MEGUIAR: “24.”
YOU MENTIONED STEVE ADDINGTON EARLIER. HAVE YOU LOCKED-IN ON A CREW CHIEF? IS HE EXPECTED TO BE YOUR CREW CHIEF?
BOWYER: “It’s been everything we could do to get this announcement to you as soon as possible. It’s amazing how fast everything happened. Think back at Pocono when everybody came looking for answers and I’m like guys, I don’t have them. I have no clue what I’m going to do and we’re working on that. And all the while, we’re trying to make the Chase and be competitive and compete for a championship. It’s just crazy all the things you have to juggle in this sport, but it’s part of it. We’re all big boys. That’s the business of NASCAR. There is business behind closed doors and behind the scenes and not on camera, which you see on Sunday’s. But, I couldn’t be more happy and excited for what’s ahead. It’s just crazy to think back about how my career got started by racing one race at Nashville and Richard (Childress) giving me an opportunity. That door closed and I walked in the door at MWR and immediately started winning races and having a lot of fun and created a big splash. That door closed and then landing at even a better situation with H. Scott Motorsports and then further with Stewart-Haas Motorsports.”
CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF TIMELINE OF WHEN YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT MWR AND THEN IF THE STEWART-HAAS CAME TOGETHER BEFORE THE HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS DEAL?
BOWYER: “I don’t even remember. It’s been so crazy. Pocono was the first time when I was at the race track and read the same press release that you did and then showed up at the track trying to figure out what that means for everybody. But, from there you’ve got to land and secure a deal. You hear about Tony (Stewart) and needed to make sure that there was an opportunity. I’m a racer. We all want to be successful. And to be successful, you’ve got to be around the best equipment available and start to talk. That’s where my phone was dialing and certainly that was my first ask to Stewart-Haas Racing and seeing if there was a home for me there. From there, that created a little bit of an interesting dynamic to try to figure out what we’re going to do for 2016. Now, you’re back on the phone with Rise and trying to figure out the best opportunity for her, too. The neat thing is that this is the perfect opportunity and a chance for us to build. Harry has a lot on the line. I’m really thankful and excited about H. Scott Motorsports. This is a big deal for both of us.”
HAVE YOU SETTLED IN ON A NUMBER YET?
SCOTT: “We haven’t determined what number we’re going to use. We’re working on a couple of possibilities and at the appropriate time, once we secure it, for sure.”
AS YOU YOUNGEST GUY WHO OWNS A RACE TEAM IN THE CUP GARAGE, ARE YOU HAPPY WITH HOW THE MEETINGS ARE GOING AS FAR AS ORGANIZING THE TEAMS FOLLOWING THE OWNERS’ MEETING ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON?
SCOTT: “Absolutely. There are a lot of very, very smart people who are invested in that process. And I have a lot of confidence in what everybody is trying to do. And I think both the owners and NASCAR are pulling the rope in the same direction. I do have confidence that what ends up coming out of this process will be good for the sport and for the owners and the drivers and the sponsor partners, and for NASCAR.”
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