Around the Track: California Speedway

Nextel Cup rookie Clint Bowyer finished 38th in Saturday night's race at Bristol Motor Speedway to fall one spot to a season-low 20th in the points race.

	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 can be a humbling sport.

The first time I went to California I finished 14th after a strong finish at Daytona and was eighth in points. Now I'm 20th with two straight finishes outside the top 30.

It just goes to show this sport can show you the highest of highs and drag you down to the lowest of lows.

Look at Richard Childress Racing. Richard was at the top of the mountain with Dale Earnhardt, and when he passed away it was a struggle for him and the program for a few years.

Now he's getting close to being back on top of the mountain with Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton in the top 10 and challenging for a championship. That just shows you how this sport changes from year to year.

I'm looking forward to California. I'm taking the same hotrod that ran well at Indianapolis and Michigan. I'm going to argue it hasn't run outside the top five yet. It was going to finish third at Michigan if the engine hadn't blown with two laps remaining.

The race at California can be a little boring for the fans and the drivers. Any track is boring when the field gets spread out and there's no action. We're racers and like to race.

Inside the Numbers Bowyer's 2006 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 Michigan 9 39 86 running Infineon 28 16 110 running Daytona 30 10 160 running Chicagoland 38 9 270 running Loudon 31 27 307 running Pocono 14 41 194 running Indianapolis 2 4 160 running W. Glen 14 14 90 running Michigan 29 33 197 engine Bristol 27 38 415 running THE REAL JACK MAN •   Hauler driver Sheppard gets 07 car where it needs to be

The fans don't want to see the cars single file and not racing each other anymore than we like to do it.

It's a fairly conservative track, easy to get around and forgiving. You either handle good or you don't. You either push like a Mack Truck or it handles good. If it handles good you're out front. If you push you stink for most of the race.

It can be one of the more frustrating tracks when your car is not very good. You get so strung out and the only people you get to race against are the guys that are going past you at a high rate of speed.

The good thing about going to California is knowing I've got a good car that I've got a lot of confidence in.

It's also fun going to California because you see a lot of stars. I met Jewel the last time I was out there.

That's what's so neat about racing, all the people you meet and make friends with whether they're stars or not.

I spent a couple of days off in Myrtle Beach (S.C.) earlier this week to get away after rough weekends at Michigan (33rd) and Bristol (38th).

I was with my brother, who works at car dealership and doesn't get much time off, either. We hung out by the beach and had some cocktails and enjoyed getting away from everything.

We didn't get a chance to get to the beach very often growing up in Kansas. The first time I ever saw the ocean was the first time I went to Daytona Beach.

I'm planning to spend a few days with family and friends in Kansas next week. I'm flying home from California with Harvick, and when they stop in Kansas to refuel I'm jumping out.

I haven't been back home since the first of the year, so it'll be fun to see some familiar faces and get ready for the final 11 races.