CLINT BOWYER
No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota Camry
Talladega Superspeedway
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No.15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota driver Clint Bowyer says Sunday’s 500-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway could go a long way in determining the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
He points to a last lap crash and 23rd-place finish at Talladega and a later Phoenix crash as reasons he ended the 2012 Chase 39 points behind champion Brad Keselowski in second place.
This year Bowyer ranks eighth in the Chase trailing leader Matt Kenseth by 63 points with five races remaining. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver hopes the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway could be the place make up that deficit.
BOWYER ON TALLADEGA: “Talladega is the race that can win or lose you the Chase in a fraction of a second. It’s a traffic jam at 200 mph. You have to survive until the end, which is easier said then done, all while putting yourself in the right position to win and get as many points as you can. You have to drive aggressive and be defensive all at the same time. You worry about what you are doing and keep track of who is around you. If you make a mistake chances are you’ll end up with a wrecked race car. On the other hand if you are as far back in points as we are right now – if something happens early in the race it can put you right back in this thing. You just have to race and hope it all works out in the end.”
ON LAST SEASON’S CHASE: “Looking back on last year’s Chase, it was Talladega that hurt us the most. We tried to stay out of trouble for most of the race and put ourselves in a good spot, but we went from a top-10, maybe even a top-five, to wrecked and 23rd. That is a big points swing with only a couple races left. If we could have made it out of Talladega with a better finish then maybe I don’t put myself in the same position at Phoenix. Those were the two races that cost us most last year. In the other eight races we averaged a top-five finish and that will typically win you a championship.”
NOTES:
· Chassis: Primary chassis No. 752 finished fourth in the July Daytona race and served as a backup for the Daytona 500 in February. Backup chassis No. 755 finished 11th in the Daytona 500.
· MWR in 2014: MWR will run two full-time championship contending Sprint Cup teams plus another car that will race a limited schedule. The company will also bolster its research and development effort away from the track. Scott Miller, the team’s executive vice president of competition, will continue his role as crew chief of the No. 55 team into the 2014 season
· MWR in 2013: MWR cars have combined for two wins (Truex Jr. – Sonoma; Vickers – Loudon-1), 19 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes. The three-car team has led 766 laps and won one pole award (M. Martin – Phoenix-1). Bowyer is eighth in points trailing Matt Kenseth by 63 with five races remaining.
· Racing for a Cause: From now through December 31, 5-hour ENERGY will donate five cents from the sale of every limited edition, specially marked, bottle of raspberry flavored 5-hour ENERGY to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national nonprofit education and support organization serving women and families affected by breast cancer. The minimum guaranteed donation is $75,000.
