NASCAR: Clint Bowyer rejuvenated with Stewart-Haas Racing

BROOKLYN, MI - JUNE 10: Clint Bowyer (14), driver of the Haas 30 Years of the VF1 Ford, celebrates after winning the rain-shortened Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series - Firekeepers Casino 400 race on June 10, 2018 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Clint Bowyer won his second NASCAR event of the season, holding off teammate Kevin Harvick until the rain poured down on the track.

Emporia, Kansas native Clint Bowyer started his NASCAR career on a high note. The last couple seasons, the music hasn’t been so sweet. Now in his second year with Stewart-Haas Racing, his career has been rejuvenated.

In March, Clint Bowyer won his first race in 190 chances. It is the third-longest streak in NASCAR history behind Martin Truex Jr. and Bill Elliott. On Sunday, thanks to mother nature and an accidental common sense gamble, Bowyer won his second race of 2018.

Clint hadn’t seen victory lane since his first season at Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012. That season was his best statistical year and highest finish in the Chase for the Cup. He had three total wins at Sonoma, Richmond, and Charlotte.

Bowyer has become fairly popular in NASCAR circles over the course of his career. He had multiple altercations with Jeff Goron over the years, as well as calling Michael Waltrip the worst driver in history before Waltrip was his boss.

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Bowyer finished the 2013 season ranked a respectable 7th before things got bad between 2014 and 2016. He only had five top 5 finishes in 2014 and two top 5 finishes in 2015, his final year with MWR.

As Clint waited for Tony Stewart to retire, he spent a year with HScott Motorsports, where he only had three top 10’s and no top 5 finishes.

Bowyer had fallen off the NASCAR radar. Once considered one of the top drivers in the sport, he had fallen into mediocrity.

Bowyer’s first season at Stewart-Haas he returned to top 10 finishes and racing near the front. He totaled 13 top 10’s and six top 5 finishes, including three 2nd place finishes. He still missed the playoffs, but with a good car under him and a better engine in front of him, Bowyer was competitive again.

His 2018 season has been a success story so far. Through 15 races so far, he’s only finished outside the top 20 once. He has two wins, four total top fives, and eight total top ten finishes. Clint is well on his way to returning to the playoffs. Now that mother nature is on his side as well, he has even more of a reason to be excited about this season.

I guarantee you he is happy racing in Tony Stewart’s old ride, guarantee Stewart-Haas is happy to have him.

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The NASCAR fellas take next week off before heading to Sonoma for the first road course race of 2018. In Bowyer’s13th race at the track, he’s had nine top 10’s and won the race in 2012. Two out of the last three races he’s finished in the top 3.

*note: All credits go to nascar.com and racing-reference.info

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