AVONDALE, Ariz: Stewart-Haas Racing’s Clint Bowyer hasn’t had much to be jazzed about in the opening races of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, but a strong top-five finish in Sunday’s Fanshield 500 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway was a great boost to end the West Coast Swing.
While the handling wasn’t the best in Bowyer’s No. 14 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang throughout the first two stages, crew chief Johnny Klausmeier kept making adjustments throughout the race but when strategy came into play late in the race, the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team were ready to fight.
When the caution waved less than 35 laps remaining in the race, Klausmeier elected to keep his driver on the race track and restarted second with 31 laps remaining.
While the call didn’t work out to allow Bowyer to take the lead, the Emporia, Kan. native was able to maintain track position that kept him near the front of the field. With a rash of yellow flags late in the race, Bowyer was maintaining a presence inside the top half dozen until the race went into overtime following an accident on the frontstretch.
Restarting sixth at Lap 315, Bowyer was able to pass Kurt Busch on the last lap of the race to earn his first top-five finish of 2020.
“All in all to grind it out on Sunday when the money is on the line,” said Bowyer. “it was a good effort and some momentum going into Atlanta, a fun race track for me that I really enjoy. The Mobil 1 Ford is beat up a little bit. Hell, that is what this track is all about.”
Despite the finish, Bowyer isn’t satisfied with the direction of the No. 14 team and believes what his Stewart-Haas Racing team has learned during the last three weeks will allow them to make adjustments and be better.
“As you go through this west coast swing, you are lying in the bed you made,” Bowyer explained. “We saw that all the time and it really is true. You come out here and these cars are prepared before we get out here.
“Certainly, we are looking forward to getting back home and reevaluating some things. I can’t seem to figure out how to get the front end to turn. There is a new mentality with John and all his engineers.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
