SONOMA, Calif.— Clint Bowyer is living proof that NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers read each other’s press clippings.
Scarcely had Marcos Ambrose left the interview room Friday at Sonoma Raceway when Bowyer, during his own interview session, jokingly took issue with one of Ambrose’s comments.
“If you look down the sheet of people who can win, there’s at least 20 drivers that could win,” Ambrose said, talking about the competitiveness of Sunday’s Toyota Save Mart 350. “Would you have put Clint Bowyer on that list last year when he went around here?
“Probably not, so it could be even thicker than that. It could be thirty-odd drivers that have a chance to win.”
Bowyer, who had three fourth-place finishes in six starts before winning at Sonoma last year, countered by citing Ambrose’s miscue in 2010, when the Australian driver shut off his engine under caution while leading, trying to save fuel, and couldn’t get the car re-fired in time to keep up with the pace car.
“I read (Marcos) Ambrose’s quote–that was kind of mean,” Bowyer quipped. “Who would have thought he’d have shut his car off leading and not win the race with a dominant day. So, bam–make sure you post that quote right back at you, Ambrose.”
Bowyer, however, didn’t hesitate to express his admiration for Ambrose’s well-documented ability on road courses.
“He is amazing,” Bowyer said. “To watch him, last year I remember, his car was terrible and he had that thing hung out driving absolute daylights out of it. And you see that and you’re like, ‘Man, I hope (he doesn’t) ever get that thing pointed in the right direction and rolling good, because he’s going to be a handful.’
“And he usually is, and I think he will be this year.”
In fact, Ambrose qualified second for Sunday’s race during time times on Saturday. Bowyer will start fifth.
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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