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CLINT BOWYER – 2017 Pocono II Race Report

Event:               Overton’s 400 (Round 21 of 36)
Series:               Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Location:          Pocono Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format:             160 laps, broken into three stages (50 laps/50 laps/60 laps)
Start/Finish:      7th/6th (Running, completed 160 of 160 laps)
Point Standing: 10th (577 points, 246 out of first) 

Race Winner:    Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-50):

  • Clint Bowyer started seventh, finished eighth to earn three race points.
  • Fell back to 13th in opening laps because his car was loose in the corners.
  • Told crew he needed to turn better, especially in first turn. 

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 51-100):

  • Started ninth and finished first to earn 10 race points.
  • Led the final five laps for his first stage victory of the season.
  • Climbed into the top-five for the first time on lap 66. 

Final Stage Recap (Laps 101-160):

  • Started 11th and finished sixth.
  • Pitted under green with 35 laps remaining.
  • Said his car was growing looser as the race neared the final laps.
  • Climbed as high as fifth in the final stage before finishing sixth.

Notes:

  • Bowyer scored his ninth top-10 finish of 2017.
  • This was Bowyer’s 10th top-10 finish in 24 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono.
  • Bowyer led five laps in Stage 2.
  • There were five caution periods for a total of 21 laps.
  • Kyle Busch won the Overton’s 400 to score his 39th career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Pocono.
  • Bowyer remains 17th in the 16-driver playoff standings just 17 points behind Matt Kenseth.
  • Martin Truex Jr. leads the championship standings with 823 points, holding a 87-point advantage over his nearest pursuer, Kyle Larson.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Nature’s Bakery/Feeding America Ford Fusion for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“Our Ford was good all weekend. We unloaded a fast car. This is the best car that we’ve unloaded in quite some time. A little bit different build. Hopefully this is what we’re looking for, what I’m looking for, and build on this.”

Next Up:                                                                        

The next event on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the I Love New York 355 on Sunday, Aug. 6 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN.