Bowyer, Camping World Chevy Make Big 
Gains in Stater Bros. 300

Race/Date: Stater Bros. 300 - Location: Auto Club Speedway of Southern California– Fontana, Calif. - Start Position: Fourth - Finish Position: Ninth - Points Position: 10th – Gained 14 positions

Fontana, Calif. – While Clint’s Bowyer’s ninth-place finish in Monday’s rain-delayed Stater Bros. 300 at the track formerly known as California Speedway may have fallen a bit short of expectations, the top-10 effort was certainly a means to an end.

After leaving Daytona two weekends ago with a 24th-place finish, Bowyer’s solid effort yesterday catapulted him 14 positions, from 24th to 10th, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship point standings.

Rain washed out Friday’s on track activity, and with no practice for NASCAR’s junior circuit, the sanctioning body opted to scrap Saturday morning’s scheduled qualifying session in favor of an hour-and-a-half practice.

Based on that decision, NASCAR set the field, by rule, based on last season’s final car owner point standings. As a result of Bowyer’s decision to run a full Nationwide Series schedule, RCR swapped owner’s point between its Nos. 2 and 21 entries prior to last weekend’s season-opener affording the Emporia, Kan., native a starting spot on the outside of row two.

The inclement weather that settled over the San Bernadino Valley on Friday hung around until late Sunday, forcing NASCAR to postpone both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series races until Monday.

Following a one-hour break after his 19th-place run in the Sprint Cup race Monday morning, Bowyer strapped into his blue and gold Camping World Chevy just past 1:10 p.m. local time.

The Emporia, Kan., native gained two positions in the opening seven laps but faded to fourth nine laps later.

The day’s first caution flag was displayed on lap 22 and Bowyer’s crew chief Dan Deeringhoff used the opportunity to call his driver to pit road for fresh tires, including an air pressure adjustment to the left sides, and a full tank of fuel.

Back under green, still in fourth after quick service in the pits, the 28-year-old driver gave up a few positions over the next 24 laps after fighting a moderately loose-handling condition in the early part of the run.

The yellow flag was displayed again on lap 49 and Bowyer headed back to pit lane one lap later for another set of Goodyear tires, including another air pressure adjustment. Another quick stop on pit road netted the driver of the Camping World Chevy two positions on the track. He raced in the top five through lap 60 before falling back to sixth where he would run through lap 84.

With 100 miles remaining in the 300-mile contest, Bowyer made his lone green-flag pit stop of the afternoon but fell to 15th when the caution flag waved before the entire field cycled through green-flag stops. Fortunately, the timing wasn’t all bad as the No. 2 Chevy cycled back onto the lead lap before the caution was displayed.

Deeringhoff called Bowyer back to the pit lane with 42 laps to go for a chassis adjustment and enough fuel to go the distance.

As the laps clicked off, the Camping World Chevy would get looser and looser in the closing stages. At one point, Bowyer relinquished four positions in one lap after his No. 2 machine almost got away from him in turns 1 and 2.

The handling problem would prevent Bowyer from making a charge at the leaders but the 2005 Nationwide Series Championship runner-up held fast for a top-10 finish.

Bowyer’s Richard Childress Racing teammates Jeff Burton and newcomer Stephen Leicht finished eighth and 10th, respectively, giving team owner Richard Childress three cars in the top 10.

Tony Stewart won the race by nearly two-and-half seconds over Kyle Busch. Kevin Harvick finished third in his No. 33 Chevrolet. David Reutimann finished fourth and Carl Edwards was fifth.

Next weekend, the NASCAR Nationwide Series rolls on to Las Vegas to wrap up the first West Coast swing of 2008.

The Sam’s Town 300 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be televised live on ESPN2 Saturday, March 1 beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The race will be broadcast live on PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the third points-paying race of the season for NASCAR’s junior division will be televised on SPEED the same day beginning at noon EST.

• CLINT BOWYER QUOTES

“We weren’t bad, just a little too loose at the end. Dan (crew chief Dan Deeringhoff) and all the guys on the Camping World Chevrolet did a good job making calls and in the pits so I’m really proud of everyone. We’ve got a very good team. We’re going to start winning some races soon.”