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CLINT BOWYER – 2017 Watkins Glen Race Report

Clint Bowyer Fifth at Watkins Glen

No. 14 Five Star Urgent Care Ford Starts in Back, Finishes Near Front

 Date: Aug. 6, 2017
Event: I LOVE NEW YORK at The Glen 355k (Round 22 of 36)
Series: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (2.45-mile road course)
Format: 90 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/50 laps)
Start/Finish: 12th/5th (Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)
Point Standing: 10th (609 points, 272 out of first)

Race Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Furniture Row Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Daniel Suarez of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-20):

  • Clint Bowyer qualified 12th and finished 35th.
  • Bowyer had to start at the back of the field because of a brake change after qualifying.
  • The No. 14 climbed to 25th in the opening five laps.
  • Bowyer pitted with three laps remaining in the first stage, lost a lap, then regained it by earning the free pass at end of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 21-40):

  • Started 31st and finished 28th.
  • Bowyer told the team the car was loose in the corners.
  • Pitted in the closing laps of the second stage to gain track position for the final stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 41-90):

  • Started 19th and finished fifth.
  • Moved to 11th by lap 52.
  • Pitted during the lap-53 caution and took fuel only, propelling him to second place.
  • Raced in the top-six for the remainder of the race.
  • Told to go into full fuel-saving mode with 15 laps remaining in race.

Notes:

  • Although 10th in points, Bowyer remains 17th in the standings to make the NASCAR playoffs, trailing Matt Kenseth by 28 points with four races remaining. The 16 top drivers make the playoffs.
  • Bowyer scored his fifth top-five and 10th top-10 finish of 2017.
  • This was Bowyer’s second top-five and fifth top-10 finish in 12 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Five Star Urgent Care Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I stumbled down the back coming to two to go, so we wouldn’t have made it. It stinks. I wish I would have saved earlier like the 78 did. I pushed hard and thought we were better to go on gas than they were. They did a good job saving. I could have done better. If I would have started saving sooner I think we would have made it. You never know. I am pretty proud of the effort. We got up front at the beginning of the day and stayed there pretty much all day. I thought our strategy was right, and we had a good racecar. Things just didn’t work out for us. That is just the way it goes sometimes.”