Clint Bowyer
No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Impala SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Budweiser Shootout – February 9, 2008
Venue: Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.

* This Week’s Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis No. 221 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable in this year’s Budweiser Shootout. This is the same Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet Bowyer drove to an 11th-place finish last October at Talladega Superspeedway. This race will mark the first time Bowyer has qualified for NASCAR’s annual season-opening race featuring pole winners from the previous season. 

* The Race … The Budweiser Shootout has been a tradition at Daytona International Speedway each February, dating back to 1979 and unofficially kicks off the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season. The non-points event launches a week of racing for NASCAR’s top three touring divisions culminating with the 50th running of the Daytona 500 Sunday, Feb. 17. The Budweiser Shootout (formerly the Busch Clash), began as a 20-lap sprint in 1979 but has maintained its current 70-lap format since 2003. The race consists of two segments. The first segment is 20 laps followed by a 10-minute break when crews will be allowed to make normal adjustments to their race cars on pit road. The second segment is 50 laps and must end under green-flag conditions. Caution laps will count toward the total in both segments so the second segment may extend beyond the scheduled 70-lap distance. Drivers earn Budweiser Shootout berths one of two ways. The first is by winning a pole during the previous season. The second is by being an eligible past winner of the Shootout. A total of 23 drivers are eligible for the 2008 Budweiser Shootout – which will be the largest field in the history of the event (the previous high was 22 in 2002). There were 18 drivers who gained eligibility by winning a pole in 2007, while five others are eligible because they are past winners of the event (and finished in the top 50 in final series point standings). Four drivers, including Bowyer, will compete in the event for the first time. The starting positions for the 2008 Budweiser Shootout will be determined by a random draw. 

* The Road Traveled … Bowyer earned his spot in the Budweiser Shootout by virtue of his pole-winning lap last May at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The Emporia, Kan., native toured the legendary 1.366-mile Darlington oval in 29.806 seconds (164.987 mph). Bowyer went on to earn his second pole of 2007 in September at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He recorded his first career NSCS victory later that same weekend in dominating fashion by beating four-time series champ Jeff Gordon to the checkered flag by a staggering margin of nearly six-and-a-half seconds. 

* So Much for a Sophomore Slump … Last year, his second full season as a competitor in NASCAR’s premier division, Bowyer recorded his first win, two poles, five top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. The 28-year-old driver finished third in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, trailing only four-time titlist Jeff Gordon and back-to-back champ Jimmie Johnson when the checkered flag fell on 2007 in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway. 

* RCR at the Shootout … RCR has earned five checkered flags in the Budweiser Shootout and has had an entry in 21 of 29 races to date. Dale Earnhardt won the race in 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995. Bowyer is the lone entry from the RCR stable in this year’s event.

* Pretty Hard to Argue with Stats … In four previous NSCS starts on Daytona’s high-banks Bowyer has logged a 22.5 starting average and a sturdy 10.3 average finish. Meanwhile, in six NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) races at DIS, he has an impressive 8.7 starting average and a head-turning 5.8 average finish. Even more impressive are Bowyer’s lack of DNFs (did not finish) and finishing rate at the famed 2.5-mile Daytona Beach race course. Dating back to February 2005, Bowyer has finished on the lead lap of all 10 races and has yet to finish worse than 18th. 

* From the Driver’s Seat to the Owner’s Suite … Last month, Bowyer announced he would field a full-time dirt late model team under the Clint Bowyer Racing (CBR) banner with two-time Dirt Track World Champion Shannon Babb. Babb made his debut in CBR’s No. 79 entry Tuesday, Feb. 5 at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Fla., where he will compete through Saturday, Feb. 6. Next week, Babb heads to Volusia Speedway Park for the 2008 DIRTcar Nationals Feb. 11-16. At the same time, Bowyer will race his CBR-owned No. 07 entry at Volusia Feb. 11-12. Volusia Speedway Park is a half-mile clay oval 15 miles west of Daytona Beach on S.R. 40 in Barberville, Fla. 

* Are you Experienced … Bowyer will appear at the Jack Daniel’s Experience Saturday, Feb. 9 at 5:15 p.m. The Jack Daniel’s Experience will be located in the display area, outside turn 4, on speedway property. The Jack Daniel’s Experience is a 53-foot tractor- trailer filled with artifacts, state-of-the art video monitors, sound system and graphics to give race fans a taste of Lynchburg and the Distillery. Autographs are limited due to time constraints and will be available on a first come, first serve basis. The Jack Daniel’s Experience will be open on Friday, Feb. 8 from 2 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9 from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. and Sunday Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

* Clint Bowyer Live … Immediately following his appearance at the Jack Daniel’s Experience, Bowyer will head for the Chevy stage for a 15-minute Q&A session. The Chevy stage is also located in the speedway’s display area outside turn 4. 

* Catch the Action … Live coverage of the Budweiser Shootout from Daytona International Speedway will take the green flag Saturday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The race will be televised live on FOX beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST and broadcast from coast-to-coast on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio. The Budweiser Shootout Selection Show to determine the starting lineup will be televised on SPEED Thursday, February 7 at 8 p.m. EST.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTES

• The Budweiser Shootout is a pretty expensive “one-off” race to run. This weekend is going to cost Richard (Childress) a lot of money.

“If we’re costing him a lot of money, we’re running good. That’s the way I look at it. I’m looking forward to running my first Budweiser Shootout. Hopefully, we can make some noise.”

• How tough was it for you last year to have to be a spectator for that race?

“It was really hard – no doubt. This year we’re going to get to run all the races. Not only are we in the Shootout, we’re in the All-Star race for the first time as well. There are going to be a lot of firsts for the Jack Daniel’s team this year, just like there were last year. I’m looking forward to it. You know, it’s a bummer to start the year out watching everyone doing what you do and not being able to participate. Thankfully, that’s not how it’s going to happen this year.”

• How do you approach the race? Do you go for the win or do you kind of use this for a test for the Daytona 500?

“You have to go for the win! There are no consequences from a points standpoint. Obviously, you don’t want to lose a race car but we’ll be going for broke in that one.”