Clint Bowyer
No. 15 5-Hour Energy Drink Toyota
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie
2011 Stats
Wins: 1
Top-5s: 4
Top-10s: 16
Poles: 0
DNF: 1
Average Start: 16.4
Average Finish: 15.5
Races Led: 16
Laps Led: 345
% Laps Completed: 98.0%
Points Finish: 13th
2011 in a Nutshell
Entering into the 2011 season Clint Bowyer knew his pending free agency could eventually become a distraction. Despite vowing not to let his contract negotiations affect his on-track performance, that is exactly what happened as the year moved along. Although Bowyer did win a race, the off-track stuff, and he ultimately signing with Michael Waltrip Racing, became too much and he ended up missing the Chase.
Reasons to Believe
He is a proven and consistent winner, which is something Michael Waltrip Racing has never had before … Crew chief Brian Pattie knows how to get the most out of his drivers … He has made the Chase three of the last five years … Bowyer is committed to taking MWR to the next level … Tends to lead a lot of laps … He is capable of stretches of dominance … The addition of Scott Miller as competition director should make a huge difference on the track and behind the scenes. Miller also has familiarity with Bowyer, as the two worked together at Richard Childress Racing … Being out of the shadow casted by former teammates Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton could be the lynchpin Bowyer needs to take his career to the next level … An alliance between Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing should result in stronger and more reliable engines for MWR.
Reasons to Doubt
Boyer is distracted too easily…He questions whether he’s committed to doing all the necessary things required of a championship-level driver … New team with a new crew chief means it could be awhile before Bowyer becomes comfortable with his new surroundings … Michael Waltrip Racing has always had high expectations and not once have they come close to meeting them … Brian Pattie’s pit strategy can sometimes be, shall we say, interesting … Wasn’t always the best teammate when he was at RCR … Missed the Chase two of the last three years … He crashed out of four races last year.
Area of Strength: New Hampshire
Along with Talladega, New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the only other circuit on the schedule where Clint Bowyer has multiple victories. But since he’s no longer with Richard Childress Racing, it’s hard to gauge how well Bowyer will continue to run on the series’ biggest track. Therefore it’s the flat one-mile oval that gets the nod as his area of strength.
Area of Weakness: Michael Waltrip Racing
Since its inception, no team has continually underachieved like Michael Waltrip Racing. Despite talented drivers, competent crew chiefs and smart decision makers, the organization has never quite figured out how to put all the pieces together to field cars that win races on a regular basis and contend for a spot in NASCAR’s postseason. Although Clint Bowyer is one of the most talented drivers to ever sit in one of its Toyotas, until MWR can show they’re up to the task of consistently fielding race-winning equipment, there will be a low ceiling on what to expect out of Bowyer going forward.
Best-case Scenario For 2012
Clint Bowyer and Brian Pattie quickly get on the same page and as the season moves along, become a more formidable team with each passing week. They also find Victory Lane at least once, maybe twice, and fairly comfortably, race their way into the Chase.
Worst-case Scenario For 2012
Michael Waltrip Racing again isn’t up to the challenge of fielding a consistently competitive team and the result has Clint Bowyer in his first season with the team, falling flat on his face and regretting his decision to leave RCR.
In Their Words
“Obviously, I’ve been with Richard [Childress Racing] since my very first start into NASCAR so it’s a big change. It’s another chapter in my life, my career — a fresh start, a new beginning — new way to prove myself all over again. The challenge is there and it’s fun. I’m nervous all over again and worried about things. A lot of times, I perform my best in the early stages of my career when I didn’t know what I was doing and I was nervous about it. Usually, somehow, some way I got some of the best results I’ve ever had. I see a lot of good things, a lot of positive things and a good direction that they are headed at MWR, TRD [Toyota Racing Development]. There are a lot of good things here and I think they’re all coming together at the right time. Timing in anything you do in life is so important, as it was when I got my start and my opportunity with Richard. This is a new opportunity to go out and to make things happen for myself again.”
–Clint Bowyer
Predicted Number of Wins: 0
The Racing Geek’s Final Thought
Although Clint Bowyer is a likeable guy with a lot of speed in his right foot, there are serious questions about whether his new team is competent enough to challenge the Roush, Gibbs, Hendrick, Penske and Childress cars for wins every week. Personally, I get the feeling this team is either going to be really good or really bad with no middle ground whatsoever.
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