CLINT BOWYER
No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota
SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota driver Clint Bowyer never imagined he would get the opportunity to race under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the chance to win $2 million in the Sprint All-Star Race. Bowyer, who won three races in 2012 to qualify for the non-points race, makes his fifth start in the high-stakes race Saturday night.
QUOTES
SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE: “The Sprint All-Star race is such a great event for everyone involved – it normally brings out great racing, tempers and a mad dash to the finish. It’s different than the races each weekend in about every way. You have to win a race to get invited. It’s a pure money event – points don’t mean a thing. The format changes a little each year, but the only thing you have to remember is the guy that finishes first in the last 10 laps segment is walking home with a lot of cash. And I love cash! And so do all the other guys and we’ll do about anything we can to get to that finish line first. There is over $1 million on the line – and two million if you win every segment. It is going to be crazy from start to finish. It’s going to be one heck of a show for the fans and I hope to be standing there with a mountain of cash at the end.
“When I started racing in Kansas we would take off at the drop of the hat to go race in a $5,000 to win night out at the dirt track. Guys would bring their best stuff and try all sorts of things to get that big payday. There would be hard racing, fights and all kinds of stuff that would erupt over that kind of prize. This Sprint All-Star Race is just like that – but for the chance to win up to $2 million if you win the event and take home the Bruton Smith Bonus. To say it will be crazy won’t even begin to describe it.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· BOWYER THE ALL-STAR: Bowyer will make his fifth career All-Star start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night. In four previous starts, his best finish is 12th in 2009. Last year Bowyer started 12th and finished 14th. Bowyer averages a 10th place start and 15th place finish. Bowyer gained entry to the Sprint All-Star race by winning three races in 2012 (Sonoma, fall Richmond, fall Charlotte).
· CHASSIS CHATTER: Primary chassis No. 773 is brand new for the Sprint All-Star Race. Backup chassis No. 724 served backup duty at Las Vegas, Fontana, Texas, Kansas and Darlington, but has yet to see the track this season.
· 2013 vs. 2012: Through 11 races of 2013, Bowyer is ranked six spots higher (2013 – fifth; 2012 – 11th), has 14 more points (2013 – 349 points; 2012 – 335 points), three more top-five finishes (2013 – four; 2012 – one), the same number of top-10s (five), he has led 109 more laps (2013 – 114 laps; 2012 – five laps).
· TRUCK DRIVERS: Freightliner held the second round of the Freightliner Run Smart Hauler Challenge in Talladega. Now it’s time to vote the eliminated drivers back into the competition for the third round. MWR has three drivers needing votes: Al Nelson, John Murphy and Stump Lewis. Vote daily at http://freightlinerhaulerchallenge.com/site/vote Voting ends May 20.
· TRY THE MWR SOCIAL STOP: Make Michael Waltrip Racing’s “Social Stop” your second screen on Sunday to follow all the racing and social media action when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway in the Aaron’s 499. MWR’s “Social Stop” goes live race morning allowing fans to view information from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube all on one page. Twitter feeds from MWR drivers, media members and NASCAR fans will populate the page. Visitors can also interact with fellow race fans and answer poll questions on the page. Visit
