LATE RACE SCRAPE SLOWS BOWYER, 
BB&T CHEVY AT DAYTONA
Race/Date: Camping World 300 – February 16, 2008
Location: Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.
Start Position: Second - Finish Position: 25th - Points Position: 25th

Daytona Beach, Fla. – A late-race scrape with the backstretch wall stalled Clint Bowyer’s bid for the checkered flag in Saturday’s Camping World 300 presented by Chevrolet NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Daytona International Speedway.

Contact with another driver exiting turn two forced Bowyer into the outside fence on lap 93 and ultimately cost the driver of the No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet what looked to have the makings of a top-five run.

In qualifying Friday afternoon, Bowyer laid down a fast lap of 49.72 seconds (180.101 mph) securing an outside front row starting spot for Saturday’s NNS season opener for NASCAR’s junior circuit.

At the drop of the green under sun-drenched skies, Bowyer’s afternoon began with a loose-handling condition during the early going. After fading as deep as 13th early on, the Nationwide Series veteran sliced his way back inside the top 10 by the 25-mile mark and into the top five by lap 30.

The Emporia, Kan., native made his first pit stop of the day under green-flag conditions on lap 38 for tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment before cycling back to the top five as green-flag service cycled through the field.

Bowyer was fourth when the day’s first yellow flag flew 54 laps into the race and, after another trip to the pits for tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, the burgundy-gold-and-white BB&T Chevy was back up to speed, still fourth on the board.

Over the next 20 laps, Bowyer continued to race in the top five before heading back to pit road during the afternoon’s second yellow flag after Marcos Ambrose cut a tire on the backstretch.

Back on pit road on lap 79, the five-time NNS winner informed crew chief Dan Deeringhoff the BB&T Chevy was handling much better than it had early on but he needed a little more help with the car’s handling to mount a charge at the leaders.

With that in mind, Deeringhoff called for air pressure and chassis adjustments during the team’s next pit sequence. Following a sub 14.5-second stop, the BB&T over-the-wall-crew snared their driver an extra position in the pits and when the green flag waved on lap 81, Bowyer was fourth on the scoring pylon.

During the ensuing green-flag run, Bowyer kept his BB&T Chevy wound up on the high-side, made his bid for the lead and moved into second on lap 85. He raced for the lead over the next eight laps but the untimely contact coming off turn two nullified the charge and forced the BB&T Chevy back to pit lane under the green as the leaders flashed by.

The damage to the right side of the No. 2 entry was substantial enough to cost Bowyer and company one lap, leaving the group with no choice other than finishing out the day as best they could. When the checkered flag waved, the No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet crossed the finish line 25th on the final scorecard.

Tony Stewart led 46 laps before taking the checkered flag by just over a quarter-of-a-second ahead of teammate Kyle Busch. Dale Earnhardt Jr., finished third, Brian Vickers was fourth and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five.

Bowyer’s Richard Childress Racing teammates Bobby Labonte and Scott Wimmer crossed the finish line 15th and 18th, respectively.

Next weekend, the NASCAR Nationwide Series heads west to the Golden State for the division’s second stop of the season.

The Stater Bros. 300 from California Speedway will be televised live on ESPN2 Saturday, February 23 beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) and broadcast live on the Motor Racing (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the second race on the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule will be televised live on SPEED the same day at 12:30 p.m. EST.

• CLINT BOWYER QUOTES

“We had a great run with the BB&T Chevrolet. It’s too bad that it had to turn out this way. The car was fast and Dan (crew chief Dan Deeringhoff) made a couple a couple of adjustments on pit road and it got even better. We had a good enough car to win the race or finish in the top three at the very least. We’ve got ourselves in a little bit of a hole now so we’ve got to get out to California and get it done next weekend.”