(By Sarah Farlee Managing Editor, CupScene.com)
Posted: Sunday,October 31st, 2010
Talladega, Ala., -Clint Bowyer may be known as a lot of things, but restrictor plate racer certainly isn’t one of them.
That’s because Bowyer had never won at a restrictor plate track, nor did anyone really expect him to.
That all changed Sunday when Bowyer charged across the line to beat his teammate to win the Amp Energy Juice 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Bowyer was quick to credit those behind the scenes who helped him win.
“Everybody at RCR [Richard Childress Racing] has worked very hard to get us back,” said Bowyer. “To have Kevin [Harvick] racing for a championship is where obviously where Jeff [Burton] and I wanted to be, but to have him still in a shot at winning a championship-that’s very important.”
TALLADEGA, AL - OCTOBER 31: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #33 BB&T Chevrolet, celebrates in a Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AMP Energy Juice 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 31, 2010 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
“To be able to win two races in a Chase for our race team is very important,” he added.
Bowyer was also quick to credit Shane Wilson for building great cars, as well as Scott Miller who has stepped in as interim crew chief as Wilson fulfills a NASCAR issued suspension following a rules violation after New Hampshire. The same violation that also cost Bowyer and owner Richard Childress 150 championship points. Bowyer says Miller has filled the void well.
“To be able to step in and come close to winning two races in the four races he’s been here is pretty incredible,” said Bowyer. “So very proud of the job that he’s done stepping in for us.”
Miller said testing the waters throughout the day helped toward the end of the race.
“Fortunately some of the things he found during the race worked out for us there at the end,” said Miller. “So it was just one of those days where everything lined up.”
Owner Richard Childress’s trip to victory lane was an emotional one.
AMP ENERGY DRINK 500 RESULTS>>>
“It was real special because it brought back memories of being here 10 years ago with Dale Earnhardt when he won this race,” said Childress. “I was thinking about that.”
Childress was also thinking about the drivers as they waited for NASCAR’s timing and scoring following a review to determine the winner after the field was frozen as the caution displayed on the final lap. Childress thought about Harvick and Bowyer and how they related to one another.
“Clint Bowyer, he’ll go down in history as one of the great restrictor plate racers, just like Kevin,” said Childress. “Him and Kevin both were up there.”
“Didn’t know which one won it,” Childress said. “My grandson said, we know we won it, so let’s go to the winner’s circle.”
Winning for Bowyer gives the Emporia, Kansas, native redemption.
“A lot of people don’t realize how much work goes into this,” Bowyer said. “Those pit crew guys, the guys that build the bodies, build these racecars week in and week out at the race shop, to be able to win, it is redemption.”
“It finally puts that behind me as a racecar driver, as a person, and us as a race team,” Bowyer added.
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