At home in Kansas, Bowyer seeks to end drought
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Thisis typically one of the busiest weeks of the year for Clint Bowyer, who grew up in the small southeast Kansas city of Emporia and began his racing career on the dirt surface of Lakeside Speedway just outside Kansas City.
The NASCAR star is fielding ticket requests for the Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. He’s slipping back to his home town 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.
But there is nothing typical about anything in the age of the coronavirus.
Instead, Bowyer will show up for Thursday night’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,” he continued. “I think the rest of the world is fixing to see first-hand just like we experience 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 select NASCAR races since the pandemic began, including the All-star race at Bristol and last weekend’s race at Texas. Tickets are also being sold for New Hampshire and Daytona. But whether fans are in seats is largely left up to local jurisdictions, 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 prime-time, midweek race.
None of that changes the pressure Bowyer faces at his home track.
He signed a one-year extension with Stewart-haas Racing for this season and is searching for his first win, which would ensure he races in the postseason for the third straight year and help his job prospects for next season. He hasn’t won since Michigan in 2018, and no doubt sees SHR driver Chase Briscoe 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 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.”