Bowyer out to revive career
He gets his first ride in a brand new shiny Ford Fusion, one adorned with Stewart’s beloved No. 14 on the side, when practice for the Daytona 500 begins today.
It’s fair to ask Bowyer, after failing to run well for such a long stretch, if he still knows his way to victory lane.
“Hey, that’s a real legitimate question,” Bowyer said. “You just don’t know. I think the last time I was in a good car, I was good. I think that I’m a smarter driver than I was three years ago. I think I’m plenty capable of winning races. I love what I see at Stewart-Haas, I really do believe if I’m going to win a race this is the exact team I’m going to win with.
“Wouldn’t it be awesome if it was the Daytona 500? So I can stop answering that damn question?”
Bowyer is one of the skilled plate racers in NASCAR and he can typically rise to the challenge of a tight pack and split-second decision making. He’s a two-time winner at Talladega and has three top-five finishes at Daytona. It makes Daytona International Speedway probably the best place for him to debut with a new team because he’s so comfortable at the track.
“I love Daytona. I know a lot of people don’t say that, but I like it. Maybe I’m a lunatic?” he said.
There was only one chance for Bowyer to get in the car before Daytona, but it was a team test at Phoenix in which only one driver could represent the organization.