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Clint Bowyer, and crew chief, Brian Pattie's dominating win at the Sonoma road course might be considered a revenge is a dish best served cold type of day.
Bowyer, who was let go from Richard Childress Racing, and his crew chief, Brian Pattie who was let go from Chip Ganassi Racing, proved that for Michael Waltrip Racing.
Driving a Toyota Bowyer led 71-laps of the 112-lap race around Sonoma Raceway one of two NASCAR road courses. “Not bad for Kansas boy who comes from racing on dirt,” he said after his first road course win and first win of the year.
“Very nerve racking times in the wintertime,” Bowyer said. “Basically kind of lost my ride at RCR, walked into a new program with a lot of unknowns, and I had a lot of confidence in what was going on. I still had confidence in myself.”
Pattie agreed about the win “It means a lot; it means a lot to me,” he said. “I was in the same boat he was, he lost his ride and I lost my job.”
“We are a place for refugees,” Bowyer added.
Team owner grinned adding “these two didn't have anywhere to go,” to the laughter in the post race interview.
Not that the winner had an easy day of it.
First he held off a determined charge by the volatile Kurt Busch. But Busch made a mistake which nearly ended his race. The former champ explained “I just made a little mistake there in turn 11. Those tires than have never been bolted down, ever, I clipped the tires and broke front suspension and rear panhard bar.”
Amazingly he held on to the crippled car, but, on the restart on the second and final caution was his undoing as reigning champ, Tony Stewart took second place. “I was watching him (Busch) and honestly I don't know how he kept it on the racetrack with how much the rear end was moving around on that car. He did a phenomenal job of just hanging on to what he had.
The race which usually has seven cautions because it's so difficult to pass was unusually clean with only two.
Bowyer's margin of victory was .829 seconds.
Notable was Brian Vickers, who had raced in LeMans and is a part-time driver for the MWR who finished fourth. “I haven't had many Cup races this year but, I made the most of them,” Vickers said. Martin Truex Jr. could have been the third MWR car in the top-five only he was spun out and finished 22nd.
Jimmie Johnson, the winner here in 2010, followed by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon who leads with five wins at the road course.
Polesitter, Marcos Ambrose finished eighth.
Matt Kenseth retains the points' lead over his teammate, Greg Biffle by 11 points while Dale Earnhardt Jr., last week's winner, fell to third 14 points down.
Bowyer, who was let go from Richard Childress Racing, and his crew chief, Brian Pattie who was let go from Chip Ganassi Racing, proved that for Michael Waltrip Racing.
Driving a Toyota Bowyer led 71-laps of the 112-lap race around Sonoma Raceway one of two NASCAR road courses. “Not bad for Kansas boy who comes from racing on dirt,” he said after his first road course win and first win of the year.
“Very nerve racking times in the wintertime,” Bowyer said. “Basically kind of lost my ride at RCR, walked into a new program with a lot of unknowns, and I had a lot of confidence in what was going on. I still had confidence in myself.”
Pattie agreed about the win “It means a lot; it means a lot to me,” he said. “I was in the same boat he was, he lost his ride and I lost my job.”
“We are a place for refugees,” Bowyer added.
Team owner grinned adding “these two didn't have anywhere to go,” to the laughter in the post race interview.
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| Clint Bowyer leading the race, ahead of Kurt Busch. (Photo: NASCAR) |
Not that the winner had an easy day of it.
First he held off a determined charge by the volatile Kurt Busch. But Busch made a mistake which nearly ended his race. The former champ explained “I just made a little mistake there in turn 11. Those tires than have never been bolted down, ever, I clipped the tires and broke front suspension and rear panhard bar.”
Amazingly he held on to the crippled car, but, on the restart on the second and final caution was his undoing as reigning champ, Tony Stewart took second place. “I was watching him (Busch) and honestly I don't know how he kept it on the racetrack with how much the rear end was moving around on that car. He did a phenomenal job of just hanging on to what he had.
The race which usually has seven cautions because it's so difficult to pass was unusually clean with only two.
Bowyer's margin of victory was .829 seconds.
Notable was Brian Vickers, who had raced in LeMans and is a part-time driver for the MWR who finished fourth. “I haven't had many Cup races this year but, I made the most of them,” Vickers said. Martin Truex Jr. could have been the third MWR car in the top-five only he was spun out and finished 22nd.
Jimmie Johnson, the winner here in 2010, followed by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon who leads with five wins at the road course.
Polesitter, Marcos Ambrose finished eighth.
Matt Kenseth retains the points' lead over his teammate, Greg Biffle by 11 points while Dale Earnhardt Jr., last week's winner, fell to third 14 points down.