WIN AND YOU’RE IN
CORNELIUS, N. C. – No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota driver Clint Bowyer says he has a pretty simple strategy for Sunday’s AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway.
Just win.
A victory moves Bowyer into the second round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Anything short of a victory means Bowyer is going to need a good run and several drivers to encounter bad luck. Twelve of the 16 Chase drivers advance to the second round.
The Michael Waltrip Racing driver is one of the race favorites. He owns nine consecutive top-10 finishes on the “Monster Mile” including two top-five performances. He’s scored the sixth most points of any driver in the last 10 races at the Delaware track.
How do you approach this weekend?
“Well, obviously we need and we want to win. That’s the case each and every week but more so this week. It would be a big deal to the make it to the next round in the Chase and that’s our goal. AAA Mid-Atlantic has always been a big supporter over the years so winning the AAA 400 would be extra rewarding. But we know the deal. We obviously have a pretty decent deficit to overcome right now so a win is about the only way unless something absolutely crazy happens. If we somehow have a few less points to overcome then a decent finish may do it as well. But right now we have to operate like we need a win to make it to the next round.”
What do expect this weekend at Dover?
“I expect it to be crazy. The fans are going to get their money’s worth. There’s a lot on the line. Look at what happened last weekend. A lot can change and change quickly. But man, Dover is a fun place. You got to have your car set up to come off those corners. It’s a lot faster than some other places because of the banking and the concrete. It’s like you’re falling off a ledge and then you’re right back in the gas. You are flying there. It’s a just a different kind of short track. And that’s what makes it such a fun place to run.”
2015 CHASE STANDINGS PTS (After two of 10 races)
1 Matt Kenseth 2099
2 Denny Hamlin 2093
3 Carl Edwards 2089
4 Joey Logano 2089
5 Jimmie Johnson 2083
6 Ryan Newman 2074
7 Kurt Busch 2073
8 Brad Keselowski 2072
9 Martin Truex Jr. 2071
10 Jeff Gordon 2068
11 Jamie McMurray 2058
12 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2057
13 Kyle Busch 2056
14 Paul Menard 2056
15 Kevin Harvick 2034
16 Clint Bowyer 2018
NO. 15 CREW ROSTER
Billy Scott
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
Brett Griffin
Spotter
Dax Gerringer
Race Engineer
Joe Bisson
Race Engineer
Adam Cooke
Shock Specialist
Travis Stock
Rear Mechanic
Chris Sherwood
Front Mechanic
Kyle Anderson
Interior Mechanic
James Davis
Tire Specialist
Gregg Huls
Engine Tuner
Ray Erwin
Truck Driver
Jeff Shano
Truck Driver
DOVER STATS
· Two top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 19 starts
· Completed 7,580 of 7,605 laps (99.7%) and led 42 laps
· Average start 17.0 and average finish 11.7
· No DNFs (did not finish)
How the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Works
Challenger round
The 16 eligible drivers will compete in races at Chicago, New Hampshire and Dover for 12 spots available in the next round. A win at any of the three races advances the winning driver into the next round. The rest of the field of 12 will be determined by order of total points scored after the three races. Each advancing driver will be reset to 3,000 points, no bonus points for wins.
Contender round
The 12 drivers who advance from the Challenger round will compete at Charlotte, Kansas and Talladega for eight spots available in the next round, with the same rules for advancing as in the Challenger round. Each advancing driver will be reset to 4,000 points, no bonus points for wins.
Eliminator round
Eight drivers advance to races at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix and compete for four spots in the final round. The same rules will be used for advancing as in previous rounds. Points for the four drivers going for the championship are reset to 5,000, no bonus points for wins.
Championship round
The Chase championship will be decided by the driver with the best finish among the top four at Homestead.
