With four races to go before the Chase for the Cup cutoff, it is an exciting time for NASCAR driver and Emporia native Clint Bowyer.
The thrill of potentially making the Chase is coupled with nine top-10 finishes this year, making Bowyer one of the most consistent performers this season.
But while Bowyer looks primed to make the cut — he’s sitting in ninth in the points standings (the top 12 teams make the cut) — he has yet to record a Nextel Cup victory in this, his second year of driving on the Nextel Cup circuit.
Still, there are plenty of reasons for Bowyer to be optimistic heading into the last four races before the 10-race Chase for the Cup begins.
The Gazette caught up with Bowyer Wednesday afternoon to talk about his year so far and the remaining few weeks before the Chase, including the visit to Kansas Speedway on Sept. 29-30.
Q It’s been pretty hot here in Kansas, how hot is it where you are?
A Not quite as hot. It’s been in the 100s. I haven’t been in one spot here lately for too long. I’ve been racing my dirt car quite a bit during the week, and I just got back from Sharon Speedway, (Nextel Cup driver) Dave Blaney’s track in Ohio. I had a lot of fun with (Kevin) Harvick last night. We’ve kind of been all around the country. It’s been a lot of fun.
Q How much dirt track racing have you been getting in lately?
A Man, I tell you, for about the last month and a half, it’s been about once a week. We have a lot of fun through the summer months. It’s a lot of fun to do, and I think it’s important ... for a lot of the Cup drivers to go back to the grassroots where they came from and run. I think it helps the promoters bring fans to the stands and it’s important to bring in new drivers up through the ranks too.
Q You’ve only got four more races before the Chase. Do you like where you’re at right now?
A Yeah, you know, I think we’re sitting pretty good. I think the cars that are behind us, we’ve beat pretty regularly week in and week out. We’ve got to stay solid. We can’t beat ourselves. I think right now, the only people that could beat us would be ourselves. If we can keep from doing that and keep the failures — knock on wood — the engine failures and things like that out of the picture for the next four weeks, I think we’re going to be just fine.
Definitely, we’re already looking on into the Chase, just trying to find areas where we can pick up and make that next step. We’ve got to start racing to win races, to run in the top 5 and turn the page on into the next step of racing — to be able to race for a championship. Right now, the picture is trying to look into the future and get ourselves into this Chase.
You’ve got to be a part of it before you can race for a championship. You know, it’s the consistency and being solid week in and week out that’s got us here, and that’s what’s going to be a factor in the Chase as well.
Q Looking ahead to the Chase and looking like you might be a part of that, is this an exciting time for you?
A Yeah, it is. It’s very exciting right now. It’s a struggle. I’m not one to stress on things, but it’s a pretty big deal to be a part of this Chase and going to race with a pretty elite group of drivers. There’s some really good teams that are trying to knock on our door and knock us out of this Chase behind us, and certainly a lot of good teams that we’re going to be racing for the championship of this Chase, so we’ve just got to find that next step where we can pick it up in the Chase.
But right now, we’ve just got to cover our bases, be consistent and do the things that got us here.
Q You moved ahead of your teammate in the points this week. Have you said anything to Kevin (Harvick) about that?
A He went with me dirt racing last night. Believe it or not, he beat us — beat me and (Tony) Stewart.
Right now, it really doesn’t matter if you’re fifth or 12th in points, as long as you’re into that Chase. Obviously, we need to try to get us a race won. We’re the only car in the Chase that hasn’t won a race, and that’s a major factor going into the Chase — you’re already behind in points. Nonetheless, we’ve got to be in that Chase, and consistency is what’s got us there and it’s what’s going to get us up the ranks by the final race at Homestead.
I want to win our first race. We’ve got some really good tracks coming up. The next four tracks have been good tracks for us. We got Watkins Glen out of the way. That was the only bullet that I felt like we had to dodge. Of course, anything can happen at Bristol, but I feel like the next four races are going to be good ones for us.
Q What has this year been like for you? You’re right in the thick of the Chase but you haven’t gotten that win yet. Has this been a fulfilling year so far for you?
A It has. I think it’s been a successful year. I don’t think you can cap it off as being a great year unless we do get a win. You’re paid to win races and race for championships. You can’t be in a serious race for the championship not winning races.
Our sponsors pay millions of dollars on these cars to be in victory lane and have their cars showcased there, so we’ve got to get the job done there. We’ve just got to pick it up a little bit more.
Q How much has it helped this year not running a full Busch Series schedule? Has that had any effect at all on your Nextel Cup racing?
A I think it has helped. It has hurt and helped. At Watkins Glen last week, it would have helped to run that (Busch) race and have a little extra seat time and extra practice on that track. Other race tracks, for the Car of Tomorrow and the Busch car, I think it hurts a little bit.
It helps and hurts, but for the most part, I would think that having that practice on Saturday would help on Sunday. True, it is a little bit different car, but I think it helps.
Q You’ve got Kansas coming up here in a little more than a month. Do you spend any time looking forward to that race? Does that mean anything more to you?
A Absolutely. I already told (crew chief) Gil (Martin) we better be saving at least one good bullet for Kansas. They all know that’s an important race. We got close last year and had a really strong run, and that’s important to me. That’s your hometown crowd. That’s the track you grew up driving by with hopes of someday pulling in there and getting to race.
If I can’t get it before then, that’d be a good place to get my first win.
Q When you do get back to Kansas later this year, what do you hope the headlines read the week before that race?
A I hope they read ‘Bowyer is fresh off his first victory and headed in Kansas looking for victory No. 2.’ If they can’t, I hope they’re saying we’re up there in the points race for a championship and hunting for that victory to put us in the lead.