Catchfence

NSCS No. 33 Hartford Chevrolet Impala SS - Hartford Racing/Richard Childress Racing

Race Notes and Quotes

This Week’s The Hartford Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis No. 324 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This is a brand new No. 33 racer that will be put through its first paces in this weekend’s 400 miler.

Change of Scenery … The white, blue and maroon paint scheme of The Hartford, the Hartford, Conn.,-based corporation, will adorn Bowyer’s No. 33 Chevrolet Impala for this weekend’s 200-lap event.

The Hartford Welcomes Laura … Laura Burba, Pineville, N.C., resident and dance troupe leader, won The Hartford 200 promotion where, most recently, she was awarded a brand new Chevrolet Equinox for an essay she submitted that detailed how important her car is to her, as she drives a group of retiree tap dancers, called the MsSteps, for multiple weekly performances at senior centers and events across the region. As part of her winnings, she and her husband will attend Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series event at Auto Club Speedway, cheering on the No. 33 The Hartford Chevrolet and driver Bowyer.

The California Report … In nine Sprint Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway, Bowyer has one top-five and five top-10 efforts. His best finish of third came in February 2006. Additionally, he has a 14.6 average starting position to go along with a 12th-place average finishing position and has been running at the end of all nine races.

Loopy in Cali … The Emporia, Kan., native is the series’ best Closer at the two-mile oval, improving 35 positions in the last 10 percent of laps contested in the last 11 races. He has also spent slightly over half of the laps run at the Fontana facility running in the top 15 and has a 12th-place average running position.

2010 Season Recap… Over the season’s first 29 events, Bowyer has earned one win, five top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. In addition to an average running position of 14.3, he boasts a 15.4 average starting position and an average finishing position of 14.6. Bowyer has also led 340 laps of competition and has completed 94.2 percent (8,140 of 8,643) of the laps contested. Other notable stats include: 10th in Driver Rating (91.7), 11th in Fastest Drivers Early in a Run, fourth in Fastest Drivers Late in the Run, 10th in Fastest Laps Run, 11th in Fastest Drivers on Restarts, ninth in Green-Flag Speed, eighth in Laps in Top 15, ninth in Laps Led, ninth in Mile Leaders and 10th in Fastest Speed in Traffic.

Clint Bowyer Live … Bowyer is one of several drivers who will sign autographs at the Stater Bros. Racefest event on Thursday, October 7 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Auto Club Speedway FanZone, located behind the frontstretch grandstands. Three hundred tickets will be given out on a first come, first serve basis.

Come on Down … After competing in Sunday’s 400 miler in Fontana, Bowyer, along with RCR’s Truck Series driver Austin Dillon, will head to Burbank, Calif. on Monday, October 11 to appear on the famous game show Price is Right. Both drivers will take part in the show-ending Showcase Showdown, where they will encourage the final two contestants to bid on their respective showcases. The show, which will be taped in front of a live studio audience, will air on Monday, November 15 on CBS.

Meet the Press … Bowyer will field questions from the gathered media inside Auto Club Speedway’s conference room on Friday, October 8 at 11:15 a.m.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:

You started third and finished eighth earlier this season at Fontana. It seems like all the RCR cars were bad to the bone out there.
“Yeah, we were very good out there for the spring race, so, hopefully, we can carry that on. It’s one of those hit or miss tracks for me, but coming off that spring race, I have a lot more excitement. I think we have a lot better equipment and our cars have changed a bunch since then. I think we can improve a lot.”

Fontana can be a track that’s tricky on fuel mileage. If you’re in the Chase, do you have to play the mileage game?
“Here’s the thing when you’re in the Chase – until maybe two or three (laps) to go, it’s full on, full court press. You have to do everything you can do to get a win, let the cards fall as they may, and, hopefully, they fall in your favor.”

California seems that if you roll off fast, you’ll be in good shape for the weekend.
“California is one of those races where you better show up fairly close, or you’re going to struggle. You may get yourself a decent top-10 finish, but you’re going to fight hard for it all weekend long.”