Clint Bowyer’s first victory of the season gave Richard Childress Racing a much-needed boost.
Bowyer won the Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday night, holding off Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards in a green-white-checkered finish.
“These guys never give up, the guys at RCR and the ladies,” Childress said. “They just dig and dig. We’ve been a little bit off, and when you get a little bit off, everybody wants to kind of kick you. We just take that lick and come on back.” The Associated Press
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Bowyer barely pulled away from the pack off a race-ending restart, scooting past Kyle Busch just before the caution flag came down on the final lap. Bowyer took the last lap of the race under caution, knowing that the checkered flag ahead belonged to him.
‘’It’s all about the car. It was fast in February, and it was fast [Friday night]—only the driver did his job this time,’’ Bowyer said. ‘’This means a lot to me, to win at Daytona. You work your whole life to get here.’’
Said Busch: ‘’We’re proud of the second-place effort. Clint’s car was better.’’
Bowyer won an accident-marred race, and although he did not finish under green, he earned the victory, leading 48 of the race’s 102 laps.
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Daytona International Speedway - Race Results
‘’He had the most car, the most motor,’’ Busch said. MiamiHerald.com
Joey Logano, Busch’s teammate, came home fourth, with Kasey Kahne in fifth.
Brad Keselowski, Brian Vickers, Justin Allgaier, David Ragan and Kevin Harvick completed the top 10.
Bowyer was ecstatic to record his first win at the 2.5-mile restrictor-plate race track.
“I can’t begin to tell you what this place means to me, my family,” Bowyer said in Victory Lane. “Everything you ever work for is to come to Daytona, let alone win a race here ... The wolves were coming, and [crew chief] Doug [Randolph] made a good call to stay out and not take tires.
A wreck on Lap 58 knocked Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of the race. Contact from Chase Austin’s Chevrolet turned the Dodge of Patrick Sheltra into the outside wall just beyond the exit of Turn 2. Steven Wallace spun while taking evasive action and clobbered Earnhardt’s Chevrolet.
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“Everybody had blistered their tires on the last run, and I was going to try and sit back and save my tires,” Earnhardt said, after bringing his car to the garage. “Guys got together, and it was real, real tight off of [Turn 2]. Somebody had to check up, and it caused the crash. It was bound to happen—everybody’s car was driving about the same.” NASCAR.com
