Race: Camping World RV 400 presented by AAA Location: Dover International Speedway – Dover, Del. Start Position: Sixth Finish Position: Eighth Points Position: Sixth (Gained three positions)
DOVER, Del. – Clint Bowyer and the Jack Daniel's Racing team capitalized on a strong race car and turned in a solid eighth-place finish in Sunday's Camping World 400 at Dover International Speedway.
The top-10 showing propelled Bowyer from ninth to sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship point standings. The Emporia, Kan., native is just five points behind Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick in fifth and 24 behind fellow RCR driver Jeff Burton in fourth. With eight races remaining in the Chase for Sprint Cup, Bowyer is just 106 points behind current leader Carl Edwards.
The 29-year-old driver blistered Dover's "Monster Mile" in qualifying on Friday afternoon, navigating the race track in 23.125 seconds (155.676 mph). His fast lap was good enough for a starting spot on the outside of the third row for Sunday's second and final stop of 2008 at the high-banked concrete oval.
The green flag waved shortly after 2 p.m. local time and Bowyer spent most of the opening 60 laps racing in the top 10. While he fought a loose-handling condition during the early laps, the two-time Sprint Cup Series winner also offered that his Jack Daniel's Chevy got much better deeper in the run.
Bowyer made his first pit stop during the day's third caution flag with crew chief Gil Martin calling for a fresh set of Goodyears, a chassis adjustment and air pressure adjustments to both right-side tires. Quick work by Mr. Jack's Crew snagged their driver one spot on pit road and when the 43-car field went back to green-flag racing on lap 69, the black and white No. 07 machine was eighth in the running order.
Bowyer ran eighth or ninth over the next 73 laps. When the fourth caution flag waved on lap 142, he informed his team the Jack Daniel's Chevy was good and no changes, other than fuel and tires, were needed during the day's second round of service.
Bowyer was ninth for the lap 148 restart, seventh on lap 156, sixth on lap 152 and fifth before hitting pit road for the third time during the race's eighth caution flag on lap 188.
After different pit strategies began to take shape throughout the previous handful of cautions, Bowyer wound up 16th in the running order after the lead pack made its pit stops with just over 200 laps remaining.
Over the next 79 green-flag laps, the running order eventually cycled back to a sense of normalcy and Bowyer was able to stay out long enough to lead a lap and earn five bonus points. After making his green-flag stop on lap 270, Bowyer was back to 12th before pitting shortly thereafter when the caution finally waved 21 laps later.
The third-year Sprint Cup pilot was 11th when the green flag waved again, 102 laps from the scheduled 400-lap distance, and raced his way up to seventh before the 10th and final caution flag flew on lap 351.
After one final trip to pit road a lap later, Bowyer was ninth when the yellow was lifted but he was able to pick up one spot in the closing laps and finish Round 2 of the Chase for the Sprint Cup eighth in the final rundown.
Greg Biffle earned his second consecutive win, beating teammates Matt Kenseth and Edwards to the checkered flag. Mark Martin was fourth and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five.
Harvick and Burton also turned in solid performances, finishing sixth and ninth, respectively.
Next weekend is a homecoming for Bowyer as NASCAR's senior circuit visits Kansas City for Round 3 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Live coverage of the Camping World RV 400 presented by Coleman from Kansas Speedway will take the green flag Sunday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will be televised on ABC and broadcast worldwide on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 29th of 36 races on the 2008 schedule will be televised live on ESPN2 Friday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m. EDT. MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio will provide live qualifying updates.
Clint Bowyer Quotes:
"It was a really good day for the Jack Daniel's Chevrolet. I needed a couple more laps and I think I could have gotten by Jeff (Gordon) but we got out of Dover with all four fenders and a top 10. We'll take that and roll on to Kansas."
DOVER, Del. – Clint Bowyer and the Jack Daniel's Racing team capitalized on a strong race car and turned in a solid eighth-place finish in Sunday's Camping World 400 at Dover International Speedway.
The top-10 showing propelled Bowyer from ninth to sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship point standings. The Emporia, Kan., native is just five points behind Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick in fifth and 24 behind fellow RCR driver Jeff Burton in fourth. With eight races remaining in the Chase for Sprint Cup, Bowyer is just 106 points behind current leader Carl Edwards.
The 29-year-old driver blistered Dover's "Monster Mile" in qualifying on Friday afternoon, navigating the race track in 23.125 seconds (155.676 mph). His fast lap was good enough for a starting spot on the outside of the third row for Sunday's second and final stop of 2008 at the high-banked concrete oval.
The green flag waved shortly after 2 p.m. local time and Bowyer spent most of the opening 60 laps racing in the top 10. While he fought a loose-handling condition during the early laps, the two-time Sprint Cup Series winner also offered that his Jack Daniel's Chevy got much better deeper in the run.
Bowyer made his first pit stop during the day's third caution flag with crew chief Gil Martin calling for a fresh set of Goodyears, a chassis adjustment and air pressure adjustments to both right-side tires. Quick work by Mr. Jack's Crew snagged their driver one spot on pit road and when the 43-car field went back to green-flag racing on lap 69, the black and white No. 07 machine was eighth in the running order.
Bowyer ran eighth or ninth over the next 73 laps. When the fourth caution flag waved on lap 142, he informed his team the Jack Daniel's Chevy was good and no changes, other than fuel and tires, were needed during the day's second round of service.
Bowyer was ninth for the lap 148 restart, seventh on lap 156, sixth on lap 152 and fifth before hitting pit road for the third time during the race's eighth caution flag on lap 188.
After different pit strategies began to take shape throughout the previous handful of cautions, Bowyer wound up 16th in the running order after the lead pack made its pit stops with just over 200 laps remaining.
Over the next 79 green-flag laps, the running order eventually cycled back to a sense of normalcy and Bowyer was able to stay out long enough to lead a lap and earn five bonus points. After making his green-flag stop on lap 270, Bowyer was back to 12th before pitting shortly thereafter when the caution finally waved 21 laps later.
The third-year Sprint Cup pilot was 11th when the green flag waved again, 102 laps from the scheduled 400-lap distance, and raced his way up to seventh before the 10th and final caution flag flew on lap 351.
After one final trip to pit road a lap later, Bowyer was ninth when the yellow was lifted but he was able to pick up one spot in the closing laps and finish Round 2 of the Chase for the Sprint Cup eighth in the final rundown.
Greg Biffle earned his second consecutive win, beating teammates Matt Kenseth and Edwards to the checkered flag. Mark Martin was fourth and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top five.
Harvick and Burton also turned in solid performances, finishing sixth and ninth, respectively.
Next weekend is a homecoming for Bowyer as NASCAR's senior circuit visits Kansas City for Round 3 in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Live coverage of the Camping World RV 400 presented by Coleman from Kansas Speedway will take the green flag Sunday, Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will be televised on ABC and broadcast worldwide on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 29th of 36 races on the 2008 schedule will be televised live on ESPN2 Friday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m. EDT. MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio will provide live qualifying updates.
Clint Bowyer Quotes:
"It was a really good day for the Jack Daniel's Chevrolet. I needed a couple more laps and I think I could have gotten by Jeff (Gordon) but we got out of Dover with all four fenders and a top 10. We'll take that and roll on to Kansas."
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