Driver Stats: Clint Bowyer

JJ takes the checkers, at a track very important to his team owner. That's the top story, and it was a good race--I would have preferred for Denny to win, but I did have Johnson as my A driver and Hamlin as a B driver on my fantasy team, so it was overall a good day. However, because I have profiled the first four finishers of this race previously, this week I'll look at the guy who finished fifth--and currently sits second in the points standings. Clint Bowyer drives the #33 Cheerios Chevy for Richard Childress Racing, and is currently outperforming his bigger-name teammates like Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick. 

Bowyer is a relative newcomer to the series, but not to success. He won the Nationwide championship last year, but his first race in Cup was in 2005. His first full season in 2006 was the only time he's been out of the top five in the standings. He has 2 wins--the first coming in the first race of the 2007 Chase--2 poles, 19 top 5's, and 49 top 10's. Expectations were muted this year because he was moved from the #07 Jack Daniel's ride to his new team to help out new  Childress teammate Casey Mears. But he seems to be clicking with new crew chief Shane Wilson. Bowyer, a Kansas native, handles himself and his career with a no-nonsense, low-key approach that doesn't really put him in the spotlight. But quietly consistent performance on the track speaks for itself, and rising expectations for Boyer's return to victory lane may mean more media exposure as the season progresses. Even though he's well-spoken and polite in interviews, it's clear that Boywer's focus is on making a statement while driving, not talking, so watch out for a post-win celebration that speaks volumes in the near future.