NASCAR BTS: The Story Behind Yoga With Clint Bowyer
While the NASCAR media corps, social media, and race fans at the Monster Mile were all abuzz about the 5-Hour Energy promotion, Yoga with Clint Bowyer, this NASCAR Behind the Scenes will focus on the story behind the story, calling attention to the important cause of breast cancer.
This year, the Yoga with Clint Bowyer event was all about an organization called Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a cause near and dear to Bowyer’s sponsor, 5-Hour Energy.
“Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) was founded a little over twenty years ago in suburban Philadelphia by a small group of women who realized that after treatment for breast cancer, there really weren’t a lot of available resources,” Kevin Gianotto, Director of Marketing, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, said. “So, they banded together to make sure that they had not only education but also support amongst one another.”
“It sort of ballooned from there as more and more women joined the organization who were at all stages of diagnosis,” Gianotto continued. “That’s the thing that really defines LBBC.”
“There are amazing breast cancer organizations out there that are specifically about research or detection or early prevention, but LBBC is all about diagnosis,” Gianotto said. “So, regardless of your age or the stage of your diagnosis, we are here with you for education and support.”
“We have a breast cancer helpline so no matter where you are in the country, it is toll free, 1-888-753-5222,” Gianotto continued. “A woman can call at any time, be hooked up with another woman who’s been diagnosed with breast cancer but also trained to help her get to the next place in her breast cancer journey.”
“We also have a website, www.lbbc.org, with a tons of information, especially for special populations such as African-American women, young women, and women who have been diagnosed with metastatic disease.”
For Living Beyond Breast Cancer, the partnership between their organization and NASCAR sponsor 5-Hour Energy is a dream come true, as well as being transformational for the nonprofit in terms of awareness and fundraising.
“LBBC and 5-Hour Energy entered into a partnership early in the spring where a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of a new flavor, red raspberry, would be donated to LBBC,” Gianotto said. “We got to know them and there were great synergies between the organizations.”
“Several months ago, they called and asked if it would be alright if they put our name in their Saturday NASCAR race,” Gianotto continued. “As a marketing person, that was like the Holy Grail, from my lips to God’s ears.”
“I literally was sitting at my desk and I had to put my head between my legs for a couple seconds,” Gianotto said. “A partnership like this is transformative for an organization like ours.”
“The opportunity to reach so many new women who may be out there and may not know where to turn or what resources or who may not have a support system around them, that’s what makes this opportunity so amazing.”
Gianotto had nothing but praise for 5-Hour Energy and the feeling was definitely mutual for the NASCAR sponsor, who just recently announced that their partnership with Clint Bowyer would remain intact.
“I need to give thanks to 5-Hour Energy because we could never have dreamed of being able to share the power of the message that we are able to convey that there are resources and support out there for all of these women who need us,” Gianotto said.
“Living Beyond Breast Cancer is really a tremendous organization,” Melissa Skabich, Director of Communications, 5-Hour Energy, said. “They do such great work.”
“So, it’s really a no brainer for us to partner with them,” Skabich continued. “This is our first event that we’re putting on with them which was a great success.”
“Clint Bowyer enjoyed doing yoga and he was a good sport,” Skabich said. “We had a great turnout and we wanted to just raise awareness which we did successfully.”
“Also, our new raspberry flavored 5-Hour Energy is tied to LBBC as for every bottle sold, five cents goes to the organization,” Skabich continued. “So, we’re raising awareness and funds for them which is great.”
“NASCAR fans are passionate so it was a great fit as we are a fun brand and NASCAR is a fun sport.”
Jessica Coyne, the Yoga Instructor for the event, was equally effusive about her involvement, especially as a NASCAR fan herself.
“I do know who Clint Bowyer is as I am a NASCAR fan and we live just down the road here in Dover so we are quite used to having NASCAR around,” Coyne said. “This is a very good opportunity and I’m very excited.”
“I am a local yoga instructor and I was called by the Living Beyond Breast Cancer organization who asked me to be a part of this.”
“I think the cause is fantastic,” the founder of www.higherpoweryogadelaware.com said. “My family has been touched by breast cancer so it’s very near and dear to my heart.”
“People that have breast cancer are very fortunate to have groups like this available to them and all the resources that they need during this challenging time,” Coyne continued. “So, I’m very honored to do this.”
Coyne believes that yoga is also critical to the health and well-being of those women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, which is just another reason for her passion for the event. And she even brought her family along for good measure as well.
“Studies have shown that the clarity of mind and relaxation really helps to boost your immune system and it really helps anyone battling any type of serious illness,” Coyne said. “My daughter does kid’s yoga with me and my husband, not so much, but we’re working on it.”
“Eventually we will have him doing all the poses.”
Coyne knew that Bowyer might be a handful as she attempted to instruct him on the various moves. But the diminutive yoga instructor held her own throughout the Yoga with Clint event.
“I didn’t have Clint do too many difficult poses,” Coyne said. “We’re just took it a bit easy as it was an early morning.”
“He gave me a bit of hard time, but I just gave it right back,” Coyne continued. “He is quite a card, but I mellowed him right out.”
Bowyer did at least mellow out, for just a bit anyway, as he worked with Coyne and crowd to achieve the various poses, including balancing skills, stretching and breathing.
“I have no idea how the hell I got into this but we got through it,” Bowyer said. “When I saw yoga was on my schedule, that was really a first.”
“Obviously I want to say thank you to 5-Hour Energy for this,” Bowyer continued. “But it is official, my man card is done.”
Logano Continues Nationwide Winning Streak at Dover
DOVER, Del. – Joey Logano not only tamed the Monster Mile again, he again dominated it.
Logano won his fourth consecutive Nationwide Series race at Dover on Saturday afternoon after leading a race high 106 of 200 laps in the 5-hour ENERGY 200 benefiting Living Beyond Breast Cancer. He took the lead for the final time with 59 laps to go, moving past Kyle Busch who had inherited the lead while using a different pit strategy. It was the winning pass for Logano, who cruised to a 14 second victory over rookie Kyle Larson.
“We started the race too loose and they went for it. These Nationwide races are short. You’ve got to make big swings real early and I feel like Jeremy [Bullins, crew chief] and I worked enough together now that when I say loose and how loose he kind of knows how much it is and he made big swings on this thing and got it pretty close. Then we needed one more stop to just kind of fine tune it,” said Logano on his record day.
“It’s just really cool to get four-in-a-row here at Dover. That’s pretty awesome. It’s been my favorite racetrack ever since I started here, yes, even when I barrel-rolled down the back straightaway, it’s still my favorite place, and I think we showed that today. Hopefully my Shell / Pennzoil Ford tomorrow is just as fast as this one. If that’s the case, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
As it’s been for most of the 2013 NNS season, Logano and Busch were the class of the field. The two led all but five laps but Busch was done in by a different pit cycle. When the first caution of the race flew on lap 26 he stayed on track with the lead while the rest of the leaders, including Logano, came down pit road.
Busch then had to give up the lead on lap 87 for his first stop before retaking it when the rest of the field made their second and final stops. After coming down pit road with 24 laps to go he finished eighth.
Kevin Harvick, Brian Vickers and Elliott Sadler were the top five. Meanwhile, point leader Sam Hornish Jr. who entered the day with a 15 point lead on Austin Dillon, wasn’t able to turn his second starting position into a top five finish. Hornish struggled on Saturday, falling a lap down early before being caught speeding on pit road and losing another lap.
He finished 17th and now has only a four point advantage with five races remaining. Dillon finished sixth while Sadler moved to third in points after his top five finish.
“You can’t make one bad call and then have the driver speed on pit road and not give something up. We’ll talk about it and try to figure out how to not get ourselves in that position again,” Hornish said afterwards about the decision for two tires instead of four. “I knew we were kind of sunk at that point, but I think we still could have got out of it with a 10th or 12th place finish if I didn’t speed on pit road, but we weren’t gonna win with the strategy we had today.”
Logano’s victory was the 11th for the 22 car this season. His victory was also the first time a driver had won four consecutive NNS races at Dover while the Penske team extended their owner’s championship lead to 34 on the Joe Gibbs Racing 54 car.
“I keep telling everybody when you think about Roger Penske and his history, it’s pretty amazing to think there’s something he hasn’t won, so, for me, it’s a privilege and an honor to be part of the team tasked with that goal,” said Bullins on trying to win the owner’s title.
“So far, so good. We’ve got five weeks to go and we just got to keep pushing forward and hopefully we can finish strong and pull that off. It would be very special to fulfill that last spot in his trophy case because it’s pretty impressive to start with.”
The race featured only two cautions and went 106 green flag laps to the finish. The longest stretch in NNS history. In post race inspection, the 22 car failed when it was found to be too low on both sides in the front. NASCAR said they will look at it first thing next week.
Logano wins his 4th straight at Dover, Tames the Monster
Joey Logano started on the pole for today’s Dover 200 at the Monster Mile. Logano had won the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race the past three times at Dover, and he ended up in Victory Lane for the fourth straight time at his favorite track on the NASCAR circuit.
After Logano gave up the lead to fellow Spring Cup Chaser, Kyle Busch, on lap 19, the first caution of the afternoon came out for a Brian Scott spin in-between turns one and two. Scott appeared to get loose in the high groove and spun, but didn’t hit anything. The first eight cars stayed out under this caution and Kevin Harvick, who was 9th when the caution flag flew, was the first car to come onto pit road. On lap 30, Kyle Busch rocketed out to a large lead just laps after the restart. The action stayed single file at the front of the pack until Donnie Neuenberger spun on the backstretch. His spin would result in the final caution of the afternoon. Everyone knew that more pit stops were upcoming, even though it was just only 10 laps after the first caution. Kyle Busch was the only driver who didn’t pit under the first caution who also stayed out this time. Regan Smith and Kevin Harvick, who pitted under the first caution, would restart second and third respectively. Brian Vickers and Sam Hornish Jr. took two tires when they came to pit road. Justin Allgaier took none and everyone else, starting with the eventual race winner Joey Logano, took four tires.
The second and final restart of the afternoon occurred on lap 41 of 200 with the first car with two tire restarting 13th. Nonetheless, Busch rocketed out to a big lead again. Despite Travis Pastrana hitting the wall, forcing himself into Brian Scott, one lap after the restart, the green flag stayed out. On lap 50, Joey Logano was all the way up to sixth from eighteenth, where he restarted just nine laps earlier. On lap 87, race leader Kyle Busch smoked his tires coming onto pit road and Logano assumed the top spot. Busch’s decision to stay out during the two caution periods would cost him in the end. Busch came out in 23rd place on lap down. It took awhile for him to cycle back into the lead once the other cars pitted under the green flag.
Coming into this race, Sam Hornish Jr. led Austin Dillon by 15 points in the drivers championship. Approaching the halfway point of this race, which was the fastest 200 mile race in NASCAR Nationwide Series history, Hornish Jr.’s car was very ill-handling, and he was riding around in 16th place. Green flag pit stops begun with 90 laps to go. Regan Smith, Kevin Harvick, Elliott Sadler, Trevor Bayne, Kyle Larson and Brian Vickers were the first few drivers that ducked down onto the tricky Dover pit road for four tires, adjustments and fuel. Everyone had pitted but the race leader, Joey Logano. He eventually pitted on lap 115 along with Brad Sweet. After everyone cycled out, Kyle Busch re-assumed the lead. He was followed by Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Regan Smith and Kevin Harvick.
This is where things went downhill in a hurry for points leader Sam Hornish Jr. He was caught for speeding on pit road and ended up being two laps down in the mid-20’s after he served his pass-through penalty. With 59 laps remaining, Joey Logano, who was 5.4 seconds behind the No. 54, ran down Kyle Busch and passed him for the lead, which he would not give up again. With 50 laps to go, there was some talk of whether or not the No. 22 could make it to the checkered flag on fuel or not. Crew Chief Jeremy Bullins re-assured Logano that they were good to go, but not for a green-white-checkered. By lap 160, there were only seven, yes, seven, cars on the lead lap!
Kyle Busch pitted on lap 175, ending his chances for redemption at the Monster Mile. He eventually finished in 8th place and declined to speak with reporters following the race. With 10 laps to go, Logano was up on the No. 32 by a comfortable 10 seconds. He ended up winning by almost 10 seconds. Kyle Larson came home 2nd, Kevin Harvick 3rd, Brian Vickers 4th and Elliott Sadler in 5th place.
This was the No. 22 car’s 11th win of the 2013 season with its fourth different driver and Logano’s aforementioned 4th straight win at the Monster MIle. He’s now in a class with names like Jack Ingram and Dale Earnhardt to win four straight races at one single track in NASCAR Nationwide Series history. When asked how it felt to win four straight at Dover, Logano told ESPN’s Dr. Jerry Punch “It’s a huge deal, […] it’s obviously my favorite race rack.” Also, when asked is he was concerned with making it to the end on fuel, Logano replied with a laugh and said, “I don’t know!” Kyle Larson said “We’ll take a second,” after what seemed like a bad stretch of a month or so for the No. 32 team. Regarding the longest green flag run in NNS history, third place finisher Kevin Harvick said, “Sometimes you just get that feeling,”
When it was all said and done, no positions changed hands in the close points battle in the series. Sam Hornish Jr. (989 points) leads Austin Dillon by four points heading into Kansas next weekend. Elliott Sadler and Regan Smith are 42 and 43 points back of the leader, respectively. The win also extended the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford Mustang’s owner championship lead over the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry.
Jamie McMurray Celebrating a Pretty Good Year
Last year at season end in Las Vegas, as he helped during championship week to unveil the new Chevrolet, Jamie McMurray pronounced his year miserable.
But this season, the driver of the No. 1 LiftMaster Chevrolet, is celebrating a pretty good year so far, especially after a top-five run at New Hampshire and an honor for his crew chief to boot.
“Other than getting tangled up on Lap 40, it really was a good race,” McMurray said. “We just really had a good car, had good pit strategy, and had good pit stops.”
“It was truly hard to pass there, but we were able to pass a few cars and then had good track position at the end.”
McMurray’s crew chief Kevin Manion also received the MOOG Problem Solver award, recognizing the team’s comeback after a spin out early in the race. In fact, McMurray and Manion’s No. 1 Chevrolet improved by a race-high 0.331 seconds in earning its second top-five finish in three races.
“Jamie and Kevin were running as strong as they have all year in the second half,” Tim Nelson, Federal-Mogul Motorsports Director, said. “You could tell that Jamie loved the setup of their MOOG-equipped chassis, and Kevin and the Earnhardt-Ganassi crew were nearly flawless on pit road.”
With this success, McMurray has indeed expressed satisfaction in his pretty good year to date. And he even thinks this year has been better than when he won several of the major races on the circuit, including the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard race.
“Yeah, it’s been good,” McMurray said. “I think our cars have been even better than what they were in 2010 when we won some big races.”
“We haven’t been able to execute as well as we need to,” McMurray continued. “But the speed of our cars has been good so yeah, they’ve done a really nice job obviously with this Generation 6 car.”
“We were able to hit on a few things that really worked well for us at a variety of different tracks.”
McMurray is hoping to continue his pretty good year at Dover International Speedway this race weekend. While he has had some success at the Monster Mile, he also knows that the ‘monster’ is always lurking and ready to pounce.
“So Dover, I really enjoy coming here but at the same time, this is a track that if your car is not right, it’s miserable,” McMurray said. “You can’t get out of the way and for a mile track, the lap times are really fast.”
“So, it’s easy to go a lap down if you get off,” McMurray continued. “But at the same time if your car is good, it’s a really fun track to race on.”
As he celebrates a pretty good year in 2013, he is also looking forward to some of the changes to come for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing, including the young up-and-comer Kyle Larson joining the team in the seat vacated by Juan Pablo Montoya.
“It will be new with Kyle (Larson) but Kyle’s been racing for a long time, even though he’s young,” McMurray said. “I already know Kyle so I’m looking forward to that.”
“It will be interesting to look at how Kyle approaches things, which will be different than what someone who has been around a long time has,” McMurray continued. “Sometimes you get fresh ideas and see another perspective on things.”
“Kyle’s actually getting to come to our organization at a really good time,” McMurray said. “It would have been a challenge for him a couple years ago because our cars were not really good.”
“But I think our cars are really good right now so he is fortunate to be coming on at a really good time for the company.”
As with most drivers not in the Chase, McMurray has just one thing on his mind as he ends up his self-proclaimed pretty good year.
“Just trying to win a race before the year is over,” McMurray said. “We’ve had really good cars and we have a couple of really good tracks like Charlotte coming up.”
“I also feel good about Dover,” McMurray said. “I thought we had the best car here in the spring and then a part fell off someone’s car and went through our radiator.”
“So, we had a really crummy spring race.”
“I think Charlotte will be a good track for us too,” McMurray said. “We ran really well there the last few times.”
“And Martinsville has always been a really good track for me too,” McMurray continued. “So, I feel like we have a few really good tracks coming up for us.”
So, will McMurray feel differently than he did in Vegas last year about this season when the checkered flag flies in Homestead?
“Last year, we were just terrible,” McMurray said. “We ran the last ten races just trying all kinds of off-the-wall stuff.”
“We never really hit on anything,” McMurray continued. “So, Vegas last year was just a bad season and when you end not running well, it makes for a long off-season.”
“But this year, our cars have been a lot better,” McMurray said. “I feel good about the last few races that we have left.”
“Certainly, this year has been a lot better than the last.”
