Tuesday
Clint Bowyer, 2011 NSCS Coca-Cola 600 Race Preview
Press Release
No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
Race Notes and Quotes
This Week’s Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis No. 350 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Chevrolet Impala, built new for the 2011 season, last saw action in April at Texas Motor Speedway when Bowyer led 44 laps en route to a runner-up finish.
Career Charlotte Stats …
- The Coca-Cola 600 marks Bowyer’s 193rd NSCS start.
- In 10 NSCS starts at CMS, Bowyer owns one top-five and three top-10 finishes, posting his best finish of second in the October 2007 event.
- He has completed 98.8% of the laps (3,458 of 3,500) contested at Charlotte during his career.
- The Emporia, Kan., native has led 86 laps at the 1.5-mile facility.
- Bowyer owns a 19.8 average starting position and an average finishing position of 17.6.
Red and Yellow … For the first time in five races, the familiar Cheerios/Hamburger Helper paint scheme will return to Bowyer’s No. 33 Chevrolet.
Happy Birthday Clint … The Emporia Kan., native turns 32 on Memorial Day (Monday, May 30).
Memorial Day BBQ … On Friday, May 27 at 10:30 a.m., Bowyer will take part in the Coca-Cola Family Track Walk and Summer Celebration Cookout at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Walk will feature a Summer Celebration Cookout hosted by CMS and Coca-Cola with live entertainment, simulators and fun for the whole family. In support of their ‘Live Positively’ campaign, Coca-Cola is hosting a series of five Track Walks at NASCAR sanctioned tracks throughout the season. The purpose of the Walk is to encourage fans to get active by taking the first lap of the day on foot. Free food and plenty of ice-cold Coca-Cola will be available for all fans in attendance.
Speed Street …While the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series takes a day off from track activity on Friday, May 27, Bowyer and the No. 33 “Helping Hands” over-the-wall pit crew will be making appearances at Food Lion Speed Street in Uptown Charlotte, N.C. The No. 33 pit crew kicks off the autograph session at 3:30 p.m. followed by Bowyer at 5:00 p.m.
All-Star Night … After starting from the front row, Bowyer and the No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet team finished 16th in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Points Racing … Bowyer gained a spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings after a top-10 finish in the circuit’s last points-paying event at Dover. He now sits eighth in points, 80 markers out of first.
CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:
You finished seventh last year in the Coca-Cola 600 and led some laps. Did you think you had a shot to win it?
“Not really. We didn’t have a car capable of winning, but we were gaining momentum at a track where we normally struggle at. We’re a hit-or-miss team at Charlotte big time. That’s a track where we can go lead some laps and have some time in the sun, or we can go there, be in the clouds all day long and never be able to see the light of day.”
Do you consider Charlotte a bragging rights kind of track?
“It is, but it’s always been a tough difficult track for me to get a good finish at. I’ve had some hard hits there along with some bad runs and bad luck. Things always seem to happen to us at Charlotte. It’s just not one of my good tracks. However, our cars are running well right now. Everything changes when your stuff is running well and you’re going down a path where everyone’s on board and comfortable. It doesn’t matter what your history is at that track, if your cars are running well and you’re on a roll, you can keep it going, no matter where you’re at.”
What is the hardest part about the 600 miles at Charlotte?
“Oh man, you just need to keep getting track position and keep everything in good shape. Everything has to be good the entire night. Everyone has to hit their marks. Pit stops have to go well. Transitioning the setup into the night has to be smooth. Everything has to be good for such a long period of time.”
Do you feel the extra 66 laps help at all?
“Not really. It just depends on how your day is going. Now, if you’re miserable and have already gotten into the fence or got into some sort of accident and you’re running bad or a couple laps down, it’s the longest 66 laps of your life. If not, it doesn’t feel much different than any other race.”
- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release
Article Tags: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Charlotte NC, Chevrolet Impala SS, Cheyv Impala SS, Clint Bowyer, CMS, Coca-Cola 600, Concord (NC), NASCAR, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet, NSCS, RCR, Richard Childress Racing, Team Chevy
