Around the Track: PIR

Nextel Cup rookie Clint Bowyer climbed three spots to 13th in points after finishing 19th at Texas Motor Speedway two weeks ago.

After an off week from the Cup Series he heads to Phoenix International Raceway, where he made his Cup debut a year ago. He started 25th in that race and finished a lap down in 22nd place.

	CLINT BOWYER •   2006 Driver Page •   Store: Bowyer gear! JACK DANIEL'S ... • Post-Race Show NASCAR.COM's live, call-in show that airs after each Cup race!

In two Busch Series races at Phoenix last season Bowyer finished 13th and second.

In Jack Daniel's "Around the Track,'' Bowyer addresses each week's venue as well as his philosophies on racing and life in general around NASCAR.

You always look forward to going back to where you ran your first race in any series, particularly the Nextel Cup.

Last year's race went pretty well. We got our feet wet and got a taste of what the Cup Series is all about. It really helped me with the rest of the year in the Busch Series because it was a longer race than I was used to, so it helped me learn how to pace myself better and be there at the end.

I'd have to say it went a long ways in helping me to that runner-up finish in the Busch Series.

I remember the emotions of that day so well. It was pretty nerve-wracking. We had to qualify on speed to make the field, so we went with a qualifying setup instead of a race setup that a lot of the drivers use. We ran somewhat of a qualifying setup the whole race, so we were pretty tight.

But hey, making the race was the biggest thing. Once we qualified, it was a big relief and we were able to have some fun.

I learned how competitive Cup racing really is. You race just as hard for 25th as you do for sixth. We got a lap down and I was able to get out ahead of the leaders on a restart and was able to hold my own for quite a while.

It's a day I'll remember 50 years from now when I'm talking to my grandchildren. It's a day you never forget. I'd run some Busch races with those guys at that point, but that was more confirmation that I belong.

	Clint Bowyer 2006 Nextel Cup stats Track St. Fin. Laps Status Daytona 37 6 203 running Fontana 32 14 251 running Las Vegas 20 15 270 running Atlanta 16 27 324 running Bristol 27 29 495 running Martinsville 42 22 496 running Texas 12 19 333 running

You work your whole life for a chance to get in a Cup race. To get that first one under your belt makes you feel like you've arrived.

It was good to have last weekend off. We were disappointed with the end of the Texas race. We were good in practice [qualified 12th], where I'm learning to be a lot freer in my setup than I am. When I left practice, I felt it was going to be a track where I could run well.

We just weren't able to put everything we learned to good use. We were tight right off the bat. That just comes down to me not knowing where that car needs to be for that long of a race.

We had a two-tire pit call at the end that got us in the top 10. If we could have caught a caution halfway in between that 17-lap run, we would have been sitting pretty and could have maybe come out with a top-five finish.

Unfortunately, we didn't get one. It was a good call, but the car was tough to handle those last laps. As soon as we got back under way and got into Turn 1, I was unsure what I had even though we actually ran our fastest lap of the day.

It didn't last long. The car lost its mojo pretty fast. We were just holding on at the end. It was real loose on those last laps and I was a sitting duck. I was about to lose it on the last lap and [Kyle Busch] got into me.

He was a lot faster than I was and he definitely was going to pass me before we got to the checkered flag. He definitely wasn't helping things being that close. Once I got sideways he just helped me on around.

It's too bad. That was a real good racecar and it showed a lot of promise. It's just going to be a while before it gets back to the track.

At least we ended up 19th. It could have been a lot worse, but it did tighten up the rookie race.

[Note: Denny Hamlin moved to 14th, three points behind Bowyer. Martin Truex Jr. moved to 15th, six behind Bowyer.]

I'm confident we can get back to running good. It seems like once you get in the rough waters it's hard to get things smoothened back out. Phoenix could be a place to get things going back in the right direction.

Last year we almost won the fall Busch race. We just couldn't quite get around Carl Edwards at the end, but we ran well and that will end up helping us in the long run.

We've been tearing some things up here lately and making the guys work extra hard. The break from Cup came at a good time for us. We had a good test at Richmond and got to work through things.

We got everybody pumped back up and back on the same page and having fun. It's easy to get burned out, especially when you're tearing things up and running poorly.