Last-Lap Incident Keeps Bowyer from Top-Five 
Finish at Texas

Race/Date: Samsung 500 - Location: Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, Texas - Start Position: 25th - Finish Position: 10th - Points Position: 11th – Gained one position

FORT WORTH, Texas – A last-lap incident during a green-white-checkered flag restart at the Samsung 500 kept Clint Bowyer and the No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet team from a top-five showing but they still earned a solid 10th-place finish Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway.

The team’s fourth top-10 finish in the season’s first seven races also moved Bowyer up one spot, to 11th, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings. He’s a mere seven points behind Carl Edwards in 10th, 83 back of fifth-place Tony Stewart and 191 behind leader and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) teammate Jeff Burton.

Edwards earned his third victory of the young season with a .399 of a second margin over Jimmie Johnson. Kyle Busch was third, Ryan Newman fourth and Denny Hamlin was fifth. RCR teammates Burton and Kevin Harvick finished sixth and 12th, respectively.

Bowyer and Company’s 25th-place qualifying effort wasn’t up to expectations as the Emporia, Kan., native got loose in some oil-dry residue in turn one of his fast lap. It was only a slight hesitation but enough to leave him a mid-pack starter for Sunday’s 334-lap main event.

NASCAR’s Big Show was afforded clear blue skies and temperatures in the high 70s when the green flag waved over the 43-car field at approximately 1:20 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Bowyer, starting in the inside of row 13, began an immediate assault on the cars directly in front of him. He picked up four spots by the time the field came around to complete the first lap of competition, two more positions on lap two and was shown 17th in the running order after just five laps.

The Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet was 15th when the first of the day’s six caution flags waved over the field on lap 30. Bowyer told crew chief Gil Martin that the No. 07 was loose exiting the corners and needed more grip. Martin’s call on pit road included fresh Goodyear tires all around, with air pressure adjustments to both rear tires, and fuel. Bowyer restarted on lap 34 in the 16th position.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series point leader was back to 15th by lap 40, 13th on lap 59 and ninth by lap 81. A green-flag pit stop on lap 84, while running sixth, included fresh Goodyears, a full tank of fuel but no chassis adjustments. But apparently adjustments were needed as Bowyer called in on lap 92 that the car’s handling was still loose exiting the turns. Fortunately, a caution on lap 110 allowed Martin to bring his driver, now running 12th, back down pit road for adjustments. Mr. Jack’s Crew was on its game and returned their driver to the racing surface having picked up one spot in the running order.

Green-flag racing resumed on lap 114 and, just two laps later, Bowyer cracked the top 10. He was still 10th on lap 132 when caution again slowed the action and continued strong service by the pit crew earned one more spot for the restart on lap 137. Over the next 100 laps, Bowyer moved into the eighth position and a green-flag stop on lap 231 helped things out even further as he was shown seventh in the running order with 100 laps remaining.

He was fifth on lap 262, sixth after a green-flag pit stop on lap 283 and fifth again when a caution on lap 295 bunched up the field for the final run to the checkered flag. No adjustments were made during the stop which proved not to be the right move as he slipped back to ninth before the day’s final caution set up a green-white-checkered flag finish.

Martin called for right-side tires only during the team’s final pit sequence and Bowyer sat fifth for the restart. He quickly picked up a couple of spots after the green flag waved but, in turn four, contact from the No. 11 car put the No. 07 into the outside retaining wall. Fortunately, Bowyer only lost a handful of spots and was still awarded the 10th-place spot in the finishing order.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continues westward next weekend for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Live coverage on FOX begins Sunday, April 12 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The race will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the eighth of 36 points-paying races on the 2008 calendar will be televised live on SPEED Friday, April 10 beginning at 7 p.m. EDT. MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio will provide live qualifying updates.

• CLINT BOWYER QUOTES

"I hate that the day had to end like that. Gil made the right call for two tires and we picked up a couple spots quick. The Jack Daniel's Chevy was in position for a top-five finish but, when we were coming off turn four, the 11 clipped us in the right-rear and that was it. We got back into the top 10 though so it wasn't all bad."