Kansas could give Bowyer a playoff party
Clint Bowyer home.
Kansas Speedway is only about 100 miles away from his Emporia, Kan., hometown, and every time the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads to the 1.5-mile track, Bowyer is more excited to get behind the wheel than usual. So even though his championship hopes are on the line at Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC), he loves a highstakes race at his home track.
“This is what gets your blood flowing,” Bowyer told USA TODAY Sports. “This is what gets you excited. This is what we live for as race car drivers — to be able to compete for that championship and be a part of that elite group, and right now, we are.”
Plus, he got lucky that Sunday’s Kansas City Chiefs’ game is hours after the race. But before he can watch his NFL team play in person for a change — “I’ve got a ticket, my butt will be there” — he needs to find a way to slide into the next round of the Cup Series playoffs.
For the second elimination event in the 10-race postseason, Sunday’s results will shrink the championship contenders from 12 to eight drivers, after starting can’t wait to race at in September with 16.
Bowyer enters the weekend sixth in playoff points after he and his Stewart-Haas Racing teammates had dominant performances last Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. SHR’s Aric Almirola passed teammate Kurt Busch on the last lap to earn his first win of the season and clinch his spot in the Round of 8. Bowyer finished second.
Currently 21 points ahead of the cutoff mark, Bowyer is hardly safe. If he doesn’t win Sunday, he’ll likely need a top-10 finish to advance. And with a “more the merrier” attitude about his family attending the race, he can already hear what his dad will say about his playoff predicament.
“My dad hates me for that because he’s like, ‘Damn it boy, don’t you ever do anything the easy way?’ ” Bowyer joked. “‘You always like to be nerve wracking, not be able to sleep, going into these races scared (expletive)-less and not knowing if we’re going to make it or not.’ ”
But he’s not the only one on the edge. Reigning series champion Martin Truex Jr. is seventh in the standings and 18 points inside the cutoff.