Catchfence

Clint Bowyer Climbing in Car - Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

This Week’s Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet at Richmond International Raceway … Clint Bowyer will pilot chassis No. 365 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Chevrolet Impala, built new for 2011, has seen action earlier this season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July when Bowyer brought home a 17th-place finish after starting 12th.

Career Richmond Stats … This week’s 400 miler marks Bowyer’s 207th career NSCS start.

• In 11 NSCS starts at Richmond, Bowyer owns one win (May 2008), one top-five and six top-10 finishes.
• He has completed 100 percent of the laps (4,410 of 4,410) contested at RIR during his career.
• The Emporia, Kan., native has led 75 laps at the 3/4-mile facility.
• Bowyer owns a 15.1 average starting position and a top-10 average finishing position of 9.5.

Red and Yellow … The familiar Cheerios/Hamburger Helper paint scheme is on Bowyer’s No. 33 Chevrolet this weekend as he attempts to qualify for the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

In the Loop … This race couldn’t come at a better time for Bowyer as he owns some impressive NASCAR loop data statistics at the Richmond, Va.-based facility. He is second in quality passes (passes while running in the top 15) with 345 passes, fourth in average running position, holds the fourth best driver rating with a 97.9 rating and is seventh in laps run in the top 15 (3,471 laps).

Visit to The White House … Bowyer will join RCR teammate Jeff Burton and a number of other NASCAR drivers from the 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series class, including 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson as they are scheduled to be honored by President Barack Obama at The White House on Wednesday, September 7 at 4 p.m.

Q&A Session … Bowyer will take part in the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup “Wild Card” contenders press conference on Thursday, September 8 at 5:30 p.m. at Richmond International Raceway’s Sprint stage located in the paved Lot A outside of turn one. The event, which involves all Sprint Cup Series drivers not in the top 10 in point standings and eligible for the two “Wild Card” spots will include driver interviews with motorsports, local and national media followed by a fan question & answer session.

Peach State Recap … After starting on the outside of the front row and leading eight laps, Bowyer and the No. 33 Hamburger Helper Chevrolet team’s Chase chances took a significant hit after getting caught up in a accident on lap 243 and finishing 36^th in the rain-delayed AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Points Racing … Even with the disappoint finish on Tuesday,there is a scenario where Bowyer could clinch a “Wild Card” spot in the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with only one race remaining to qualify at Richmond International Raceway. He is currently 14th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 12 markers behind Denny Hamlin. In order to qualify for the Chase, Bowyer would need to win Saturday night’s feature outright with Hamlin finishing 11th or worse.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES:

Is Richmond International Raceway your favorite short track?

“It’s one of them. I think that the most exciting thing about going to Richmond is that it’s the place that could either get you in the Chase or take you out of it. I’m looking forward to the challenge. That’s a fun situation to be in. It’s fun for fans to follow and good for the sport.”

Do you realize you’ve finished sixth in the last three of four races at Richmond?

“Yeah, to be honest, I can’t remember what happened in the fourth race. We were running sixth for most of the race and the guys kept saying ‘you realize you’re fixing to finish sixth again.’ The other place that I’ve done it is at Atlanta. I’ve finished sixth three times in a row there too. I’m not too wild about that, but I guess it’s better than three seventh-place finishes.”

You seem really locked in when you’ve gone to Richmond in the past and you always have a chance to win there.

“I do. It’s just one of those tracks that we run well at and have a good package. It fits my driving style and we have success there.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release