Bowyer's what NASCAR needs now

After getting his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win and making the Chase for the Sprint Cup last year, Clint Bowyer sets his sights on a Daytona 500 victory.
Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

Clint Bowyer was last year's surprise of the Chase. The only driver to qualify for the Chase without a win, Bowyer vaulted into championship contention by winning the race at New Hampshire International Speedway, the first race of the Chase.
He didn't win again, but he never completely dropped out of contention either.
He became a fan-favorite during the Chase, and even earned the accolades of track owner Humpy Wheeler at one point.
Wheeler said Bowyer is the type of driver NASCAR needs to attract its core audience again.
“Obviously, somebody who is as successful as he is and who has been around as long as he has, says something, it’s comforting and gratifying. But I’m just a kid from Kansas who is getting paid to do what he loves to do," said Bowyer, driver of the No. 07 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. "I love racing. I’d race every day of the week if I could – probably more on dirt than asphalt. But given the opportunity, I’m not going to turn it down."
Bowyer might be one of the most down-to-earth drivers in Cup. What is for certain, he is one of the few Cup drivers who does not own a tie. He apparently needed to buy a tie and a suit for the NASCAR awards banquet last year.
"My PR guy told me I had to go get a suit for the banquet and all the media stuff in New York," Bowyer said. "So I went and got a suit and I think I wore the tie one time and I had to have him come tie it.”
Richard Childress Racing, which also has Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton as drivers, was the only team to have all of its drivers qualify for the Chase. Bowyer finished highest in the standings among the three. The team will only get stronger this year after joining forces with Dale Earnhardt Inc. on their engine program.
"There are a lot of changes going on, especially with the engine department," Bowyer said. "And I really feel good about the changes Richard has made. I think that’s only going to be a positive in the future. It’s going to take a little time, but it’s going to be a good thing for not only our shop, but for DEI also. I’m excited about the future of the engine shop and about our future."