DOVER, Delaware — Clint Bowyer and the BB&T Racing Team were able to overcome a pre-race setback that saw them start at the back of the field due to an engine change to finish 15th in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway.
"The finish doesn't show how we ran today. Our BB&T Chevrolet was fast all day, but we stayed out over those final two caution periods hoping that track position was going to be what we needed, only to find that we should have pitted. Those calls are tou"— Clint Bowyer
His third-consecutive top-15 finish allowed Bowyer to maintain the 15th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings.
When Bowyer hit the high-banked concrete oval for Friday’s first practice session on Friday afternoon, something went amiss in the engine of the No. 33 Impala SS. After a thorough investigation, it was determined the engine had suffered inexplicable damage that required the team to change the power plant, resulting in a penalty that put them at the back of the starting field on Sunday.
Despite his limited time on track in the only practice session prior to qualifying, Bowyer was able to record the eighth-best qualifying time of the 44 drivers on hand.
From the drop of the green flag on Sunday, Bowyer showed the setback would not ruin his day as he advanced to 28th position at lap 25, when NASCAR threw a competition caution. In an effort to gain track position, crew chief Shane Wilson elected only to change right-side tires when the two-time NSCS winner hit pit road. The call yielded the results Wilson hoped for, placing Bowyer 14th for the lap-30 restart.
As the laps clicked off, Bowyer charged his way to the 10th position at lap 89. As clouds came and went over the speedway, the conditions of both the track surface and Bowyer’s Chevrolet constantly changed. Despite the changing conditions, Bowyer maintained his position inside the top 10 for the first half of the race.
Numerous incidents over the second half of the event slowed the pace, but lightning-fast pit stops by the BB&T crew helped Bowyer hold his footing as the event neared completion. Two caution flags were displayed over the final 60 laps, and the decision was made by Wilson to stay out each time to maintain track position. Changing track conditions and older tires resulted in a loss of several positions in the closing laps, but Bowyer was able to hold on to record his 16th top-15 finish of the 2009 season.
Jimmie Johnson was able to hold off Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth to earn his fourth win of the 2009 season. Juan Pablo Montoya and Kurt Busch rounded out the top-five finishers.
Bowyer’s RCR teammates Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Casey Mears finished 12th, 16th and 17th, respectively.
Next weekend, NASCAR’s senior circuit heads to the Midwest for its annual visit to Bowyer’s home track, Kansas Speedway.
Live coverage of the Price Chopper 400 from Kansas Speedway begins Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and will be telecast live on ABC. The event will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 29th points-paying race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tour will be broadcast live on ESPN2 Friday, Oct. 2 beginning at 4:30 p.m. EDT and can be heard worldwide on MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
