Around the Track: MIS

Bowyer: If you want an autograph and you see me, just ask

Nextel Cup rookie Clint Bowyer finished 21st in his first try at Pocono Raceway in NASCAR's top series.

He remained 16th in the standings and is 165 points out of the top 10 that are guaranteed a place in the Chase as the schedule stops at Michigan.

	CLINT BOWYER •   Around the Track archive •   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!

Bowyer: This weekend is going to be fun and a little easier than last weekend if the weather holds up. We race at Kentucky on Saturday night. It was a great track for me last year -- I finished third behind Carl Edwards and Martin Truex Jr.

Even though I only run Kentucky once a year, I have been to Kentucky several times to test Cup cars. I am fairly confident with that place. I like Michigan too, but I feel like the place owes me one. I was 30th in the Busch race there last year after leading the most laps.

This is the second weekend in a row where I am shuttling back and forth between two tracks. It's a short flight from Michigan to Kentucky. Last weekend, I rode with Kevin Harvick, and I was keeping Kevin awake.

Kevin was trying to doze off, and I kept talking to him on purpose, trying to keep him up. He was getting grouchy. I was not ready to sleep, and he was trying to sleep.

We are fortunate to have a good airplane like that that is fast and can get you there quick. Will Lind [RCR's Busch Series team manager] has done a good job of getting the logistics down, getting the schedule done where it absolutely goes as smooth as possible.

With the schedule, I don't get to see my two brothers very much. Both of them live out of state and I haven't seen either one of them in awhile, although I talk to them all the time on the phone.

Credit: Autostock

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 Phoenix 8 5 312 running Talladega 15 40 16 crash Richmond 20 10 400 running Darlington 3 23 365 running Lowe's 15 19 399 running Dover 22 17 400 running Pocono 42 21 200 running MORE ABOUT CLINT •   10 Questions: Clint Bowyer

My little brother is a sales manager at a Chevy dealership and my older brother is a writer for Racer X Magazine. My little brother and I have always been around dealerships before all this came up for me. I am glad he is at a Chevy dealership.

Despite the busy weekend, I am planning on seeing my lawyer, who lives near the track. I might go up there early and go see him and go over some things and make sure everything is on track.

He manages the business side of things, and I will go up and kind of do a review and see where we are at and where we need to be. Get to go up and see him and I hear he has a pretty sweet house on the lake. Hopefully we can enjoy that and have a good dinner or something.

Having to run two races at separate tracks in a weekend cuts down my time to do things like sit at my souvenir trailer and sign autographs. If you want an autograph and you see me, just come up and ask.

Most people do it the correct way, but don't do it when a driver is fixing to go out and qualify. For the most part, fans are really good about knowing the right time and place.

Hey, they have come a long way, and I was in their shoes just a few years ago. I have stood in that line. They are hard to get, and that signature means the world to you.

I try to do every one I can. You may not believe this, but I have actually gotten Kevin Harvick's autograph. Then I got to drive his car a couple of years later. And he was mean then! I like to give Kevin a hard time.

Like I said, I know what it feels like, and that is what separates NASCAR. It is fan-friendly. At a football game or a baseball game, you can't get close to the people, and that is why NASCAR is different.