Late-Race Cautions Wipe Out Fuel Mileage 
Strategy for DIRECTV Team

Race/Date: Centurion Boats at The Glen – August 10, 2008 - Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International - Start Position: 12th (based on owner points) - Finish Position: 23rd
Points Position: 13th (dropped one position)

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- For the second consecutive weekend, pit strategy and fuel mileage were key determinants of a strong finish but the plans made for the Centurion Boats at The Glen didn’t pan out as well at Watkins Glen International for Clint Bowyer as they did the week before at Pocono.

The two-stop strategy went out the window when multiple late-race cautions, including a 40-minute plus red flag allowed a number of cars to save enough fuel to make it to the end of the race. As a result, Bowyer and the No. 07 DIRECTV team were left with a 23rd-place finish and are now on the outside looking in at the Race to the Chase.

Bowyer is now 13th in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings, 22 points behind Matt Kenseth in 12th and 67 points ahead of David Ragan in 14th. However, positions eight through 13 are separated by only 107 points with four races remaining before the 12-driver field is set for the 10-race Chase for the Championship.

Qualifying Friday was cancelled due to rain so the field was set based on owner points. That positioned the No. 07 DIRECTV Chevrolet Impala SS on the outside of the sixth row for Sunday’s mid-afternoon start.

Though rain was forecasted for the area throughout Sunday afternoon, the 90-lap feature on the 11-turn, 2.45-mile road course celebrating its 60th year of operation got underway on time just before 2:30 Eastern Daylight Time. Bowyer dropped a couple of spots in the first few laps and called in to crew chief Gil Martin that the car was wheel-hopping in the turns. He was 17th in the running order when green-flag pit stops began on lap 21. Playing the fuel strategy game, Martin called for Bowyer to bring the DIRECTV Chevy down pit road two laps later for fuel and fresh Goodyear tires.

The 17th position was maintained after the green-flag stops cycled through and that was the position Bowyer held at the race’s halfway point. The first caution of the day waved three laps later, on lap 48, with Martin keeping to his strategy by leaving his driver on the racing surface. A few of the frontrunners did come in for service which allowed Bowyer to move into the 12th spot for the restart on lap 51. He then moved up three positions before Martin called him onto pit road for a green-flag stop on lap 57 along with the balance of the frontrunners who had stayed out during the previous yellow flag. The stop was solid but Bowyer stalled the engine exiting the pit box and lost valuable time on the track.

The DIRECTV Chevy Impala SS was 26th in the running order on lap 63 but things were still looking good based on the strategy which would require many of the lead cars to pit for a splash of fuel just a couple of laps before the finish. Unfortunately, a caution with just 14 laps remaining and then another with nine laps remaining (which resulted in a 43-minute red flag) created enough caution laps for the leaders to stretch their fuel mileage to the end. Racing finally resumed with just five laps remaining and left little time for Bowyer and Company to improve on their 23rd spot in the running order.

Kyle Busch earned his eighth victory of the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series season, taking the checkered flag 2.275 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Tony Stewart. Marcos Ambrose was third, Juan Pablo Montoya was fourth and Martin Truex, Jr., rounded out the top five. Richard Childress Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton finished sixth and 17th, respectively.

Oval racing returns to the NASCAR Cup Series for the balance of the season with next weekend’s stop at Michigan International Speedway.

The 3M Performance 400 presented by Bondo will take the green flag Sunday, August 17 at 2 p.m. EDT. The race will be televised live on ESPN beginning at 1 p.m. EDT and broadcast from coast-to-coast on MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 23rd points-paying race on the 36-race Sprint Cup Series tour will be televised live on ESPN2 Friday, August 15 at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

• CLINT BOWYER QUOTES

“We had a plan for fuel mileage and it we thought it was going to work. It was working until the late cautions helped everybody else. The DIRECTV Chevy Impala was pretty good but luck just didn't go our way today. Heck, we didn't get any luck all weekend. We have our work cut out for us for the next four races but I know this team can make it happen.”