HAMPTON, GA - FEBRUARY 22: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #14 Haas Automation Ford, drives during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Folds of Honor Quiktrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 22, 2019 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Too much speed?
After topping the speed chart in Saturday’s practice session for Monster Energy Cup Series cars, Clint Bowyer warned that too much speed at abrasive Atlanta Motor Speedway might tend to shorten the life of a set of tires.
“You need to be good from 15 laps on,” said Bowyer, who ran his fastest circuit of the session in 30.954 seconds (179.104 mph). “But the problem is, you don’t really get that big a tow off another car like we were at the Vegas test earlier in the year.
“It’s going to be interesting. I think this is a learning process. Somebody’s going to hit it (on Sunday in the Folds of honor QuikTrip 500, 2 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), and some of these teams are going to drastically miss it. I hope we hit it.”
Bowyer will start third in Sunday’s race, behind Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola and fellow Ford driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community.
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.