TOOELE, Utah — Jason Bowles remains the NASCAR Camping World West Series championship leader following yet another podium result on Saturday (August 1), during Round 10 at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. After challenging for the win and leading multiple times, the California eventually crossed the stripe in third, extending his points advantage in the title chase to 56.
"I think we showed this weekend that we are one of the strongest teams as a whole, and hopefully we can carry the momentum that we have had lately through the season."— Jason Bowles
As expected, the 14-turn Miller Motorsports Park road course just outside of Salt Lake City immediately proved to Bowles’ liking when the NASCAR Camping World West series cars took to the track. The former karting and junior formula car standout, along with his Sunrise Ford teammate, quickly became the drivers to beat. Bowles, having challenged for the top spot in the two practice sessions, turned the second fastest time in qualifying, earning a P2 starting position for the final road course race of the season on Saturday afternoon.
When the green flag waved for the Miller Motorsports Park 125, it quickly became apparent that the fight for the race win would be between Bowles and his fellow road racing background teammate. With Bowles and his teammate swapping not only fastest race laps, but also the lead several times, it appeared the win would not be decided until the closing stages of the 41-lap race. Unfortunately, just 10 laps from the checkered flag, the right rear tire on Bowles No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Oakley/Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/GS 610/RPM 12/Justice Brothers/Bell/Ford suddenly began losing pressure. While able to continue, the championship leader rapidly began losing speed and track position. Bowles, battling the ill-handling car all the way to the stripe, came home a solid, if not disappointing third.
“All in all it was a good weekend for the whole team,” stated Bowles. “We obviously want to be in victory lane every chance we get, but when you are running for a championship you can’t turn down good points days. I think our speed was good enough to contend for the win for sure, but we just had to salvage what we could when that tire started to go down. I think we showed this weekend that we are one of the strongest teams as a whole, and hopefully we can carry the momentum that we have had lately through the season.”
Bowles, having scored a sixth podium finish in Round 10, enters the final three races of the 2009 season with a 56-point lead (1694-1638) in the championship standings. Round 11 of the NASCAR Camping World West Series takes place on August 15, at Colorado National Speedway. Bowles and the Sunrise Ford team finished third in 2008 edition of the race.
Additional information on Bowles 2009 season can be obtained from the series website @ localracing.nascar.com/series/8. For direct contact, please contact Jason Bowles @ bowlesjason@mac.com.
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About Jason Bowles:
A native of Ontario, Calif., Bowles began his motorsports career behind the wheel of a kart at the age of 11. Immediately showing talent, he promptly won several junior class races and championships, before moving up to the senior classes. Retaining his winning ways, the talented young race pilot became one of the drivers to beat in shifter kart competition. Following in the footsteps of established racing stars, Bowles began racing cars in 2004. Competing in the highly competitive Cooper Tires F2000 Championship he promptly won Rookie of the Year honors. While the Californian found continued success in the pro F2000 ranks and subsequently got the chance to test an Atlantic Championship car, funding prevented him from advancing up the open-wheel motorsports ladder. Thanks to some established relationships within motorsports his career aspirations were soon revived in the stock ranks. While Bowles was initially viewed as a road course specialist, he has since established himself as complete driver, winning on variety of courses. In 2009, Bowles will contest the entire 13-race NASCAR Camping World West Series schedule behind the wheel of a Sunrise Ford/Oakley/Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/GS 610/RPM 12/Justice Brothers Ford entry.
