No.15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota driver Clint Bowyer says Sunday’s 500-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway could go a long way in determining the 2013 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
He points to a last lap crash and 23rd-place finish at Talladega and a later Phoenix crash as reasons he ended the 2012 Chase 39 points behind champion Brad Keselowski in second place.
This year Bowyer ranks eighth in the Chase trailing leader Matt Kenseth by 63 points with five races remaining. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver hopes the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway could be the place make up that deficit.
BOWYER ON TALLADEGA: “Talladega is the race that can win or lose you the Chase in a fraction of a second. It’s a traffic jam at 200 mph. You have to survive until the end, which is easier said then done, all while putting yourself in the right position to win and get as many points as you can. You have to drive aggressive and be defensive all at the same time. You worry about what you are doing and keep track of who is around you. If you make a mistake chances are you’ll end up with a wrecked race car. On the other hand if you are as far back in points as we are right now – if something happens early in the race it can put you right back in this thing. You just have to race and hope it all works out in the end.”
ON LAST SEASON’S CHASE: “Looking back on last year’s Chase, it was Talladega that hurt us the most. We tried to stay out of trouble for most of the race and put ourselves in a good spot, but we went from a top-10, maybe even a top-five, to wrecked and 23rd. That is a big points swing with only a couple races left. If we could have made it out of Talladega with a better finish then maybe I don’t put myself in the same position at Phoenix. Those were the two races that cost us most last year. In the other eight races we averaged a top-five finish and that will typically win you a championship.”
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