HAMPTON, Ga. (September 4, 2011) – Clint Bowyer joined the No. 2 Bad Boy Buggies team as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series traveled to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Good Sam Club 200. In his third Truck Series appearance of the season with the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team, the Emporia, Kan. native started the event from the outside pole and led the most laps (97) before finishing in the second position.
Bowyer and the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado came to the green flag running in the second position, but quickly moved into the lead during the first lap. Ten laps into the race, the driver radioed to his KHI crew that his Chevrolet was too loose but was able to continue running in the lead.
On lap 20 NASCAR officials waved the first yellow flag of the night for oil on the track. The caution allowed the Bad Boy Buggies team the chance to visit pit road to work on the loose-handling condition Bowyer was facing. The crew quickly added four tires, fuel and made air-pressure and chassis adjustments sending their driver back on track in the first position for the lap 26 restart.
Back under green, Bowyer remained out front but informed crew chief Bruce Cook that truck was becoming increasingly loose as the green-flag run continued. When the second caution of the race fell on lap 38 for a two-truck accident in turn four the team planned to come into the pits for. Just as Bowyer was about to come down pit road, he noticed other trucks were not following suit and opted to stay on track. As the No. 2 truck slowed to enter the pits, the No. 18 made its way around the KHI machine. NASCAR determined Bowyer did not maintain pace, leaving the No. 2 machine to restart second on lap 42.
It didn’t take long for the Bad Boy Buggies ride to regain the lead as green-flag racing resumed, moving into the top spot on lap 46. Bowyer began to pull away from the field when an accident took place in turn two on lap 60 bringing out the caution flag for a third time. Cook used the caution period as an opportunity to bring Bowyer down pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to help alleviate the handling issues of the Chevrolet. The quick stop kept the No. 2 in the lead for the restart on lap 64.
Bowyer remained out front when a fourth caution flag waved on lap 73 for debris on the track. The No. 2 Chevrolet had just brought the field back to full speed on lap 76, when a spinning truck on the frontstretch brought out the fifth and final caution of the night on lap 79. The field regained full speed on lap 81 with Bowyer continuing to lead the way around the 1.54-mile Georgia track.
With 20 laps remaining in the event, Bowyer relayed to the crew that his Bad Boy Buggies machine was gradually becoming loose the farther he got into the green-flag run. Knowing they couldn’t make it to the end of the race on fuel, Cook brought Bowyer down pit road for a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 112. The team took four tires, fuel and made a quick chassis adjustment. As green-flag stops cycled through the field, Bowyer was scored in the eighth position on lap 115. As the laps wound down, the driver worked his way toward the front of the field looking to regain the lead before the wave of the checkered flag. Bowyer moved into the second position but time ran out for the No. 2 to retake the lead and crossed the finish line in the second position. KHI teammate Ron Hornaday picked up the victory, the driver’s second win this season and KHI’s fourth consecutive win in the Truck Series.
KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick rejoins the No. 2 Bad Boy Buggies team on September 16 when the Truck Series makes their way to Chicagoland Speedway for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 225. Don’t miss the action live on SPEED at 8:00 p.m. ET and MRN at 7:45 p.m. ET.
Thoughts from Clint Bowyer:
“Man I really wanted to win this one tonight. The Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet was so fast and we had such a great run. I feel bad I couldn’t get this win for the crew and the folks at Bad Boy Buggies, but we got beat in the fuel mileage game. I always have a lot of fun racing here and want to thank everyone at KHI for letting me come out here tonight.”
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