When Clint Bowyer won last year’s spring race at Martinsville Speedway, it was the perfect antidote to a disappointing debut season at Stewart-Haas Racing.
Five races into the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, Bowyer is looking for another rally, after an overheating issue at Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, Calif.) left him 38th in the Auto Club 400 and 15th in the series standings.
NASCAR’s shortest track may be the ideal venue for Bowyer, whose win last year followed several impressive at the .526-mile speedway.
“I’ve felt like I’m someone that’s capable of winning at Martinsville for several years,” Bowyer said. “It felt good to finally check that box. When I look at race tracks, that was always one that I said, ‘Damn it. I can win at that place.’ And we finally did.”
With another victory at Martinsville, Bowyer would earn another grandfather clock trophy to go with the last year’s prize, but the way the driver of the No. 14 Ford sees it, that might be a mixed blessing.
“It’s super cool,” Bowyer added. “But it’s a pain in the ass. I’m not lying. It dings and chimes and stuff, but it’s a good reminder of that day and what we accomplished that day.”
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.
- Hamlin: ‘We just couldn’t get it going’ - April 14, 2024
- Finally: Chase Elliott wins at Texas in a double overtime finish - April 14, 2024
- Photos: NASCAR at Texas Motor Speedway Sunday April 14, 2024 - April 14, 2024