Kansas not the same this time for Bowyer
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — This is typically one of the busiest weeks of the year for Clint Bowyer, who grew up in the small southeast Kansas town of Emporia and began his racing career on the dirt surface of Lakeside Speedway just outside Kansas City.
Usually, the NASCAR star is fielding ticket requests for the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. He’s slipping back to his hometown to check on his auto dealerships. He’s entertaining sponsors, meeting with friends — among them Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce — and trying to squeeze in a Royals game over at Kauffman Stadium.
There is nothing typical about anything in the age of the coronavirus, though, NASCAR included.
Instead, Bowyer will show up for tonight’s race with no family crowding into his hauler, no fans in the stands. He will wear a mask, along with everyone else in the garage area, and head to the track without practice or qualifying.
“Obviously, it’s going to be drastically different not having fans,” Bowyer said. “That is what put this sport on the map. That is what has kept it on the map all these years, and without that, it is just a void that can’t be replaced.
“Are we putting a product on the track? Yes. Are there people at home watching? Yes, the ratings show that, and these are the things keeping us relevant. I think the rest of the (sports) world is fixing to see firsthand just like we experienced in the last few months and the difference and challenges and impact of not having that fan presence there. It isn’t just the presence, it is the atmosphere of your event. Without that, it isn’t quite the event it could be or should be or would be.”
There have been fans at some tracks since the pandemic began, including the NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee and this past Sunday’s Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Tickets are also being sold for upcoming Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway, which will use the road course instead of the main track. Whether fans are in seats is largely left up to local jurisdictions, however, and with case numbers soaring in Kansas and Missouri, the decision was made earlier this month to leave the nearly 50,000 seats empty for the midweek race that will run in prime time.
None of that changes the pressure Bowyer faces at his home track.
The 41-year-old signed a one-year extension with Stewart-Haas Racing for this season and is searching for his first win of 2020, which would ensure he races in the postseason for the third straight year and help improve his job prospects for next season. The 2012 Cup Series season runner-up hasn’t won since June 2018 at Michigan International Speedway and no doubt sees SHR driver Chase Briscoe, 25, cleaning up in the Xfinity Series.
In other words, Bowyer’s first win in 24 starts at Kansas Speedway could come at no better time.
“I’ve got to do a better job inside the race car. We’ve got to do a better job of getting this 14 car back up front where it belongs,” he said. “Stewart-Haas is a wonderful organization. I want to be there. I want to retire there, and I love the opportunity and the people behind it. I really believe all the pieces of the puzzle are there.”
They’ll have to have all the pieces in place when they get to the track, though — and not just at Kansas.
NASCAR announced this week that it will continue to conduct races without practice or qualifying for the rest of the season in its three national series.
“The current format has worked well in addressing several challenges during our return to racing. Most importantly, we have seen competitive racing week to week,” said Scott Miller, the senior vice president for competition. “NASCAR will adjust the starting lineup draw procedure for the playoff races and will announce the new process at a later date.”
The decision wasn’t universally welcomed, though, especially when IndyCar and other racing series have practiced and qualified.
“Not qualifying has been a bummer,” Joe Gibbs Racing driver Erik Jones said, “because I know going to Kansas we could start better than wherever we’re going to draw, which is anywhere from 13 on back to 24 or somewhere in there.”
Defensive tackle Chris Jones of the Chiefs will serve as the grand marshal for the race, though he will have to say “start your engines” from afar because of the pandemic. Jones recently signed a four-year contract with the reigning Super Bowl champions that could be worth up to $85 million.
“The Chiefs provided our community a great deal of pride and joy last February, and it is only appropriate to have someone who played such a critical role in their success kick off our race weekend,” track president Pat Warren said. “We look forward to one of the NFL’s top defensive players having a role at Kansas Speedway.”