Bowyer salvages top-10, but loses points in Chase

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- At times during Sunday's Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Clint Bowyer was more than 160 points behind Chase leader Jeff Gordon, who dominated the race while Bowyer's team struggled.

Bowyer's crew chief, Gil Martin, was smiling at the end of the day, after his team and driver salvaged a ninth place finish -- their 16th top-10 in 32 starts this season.

The result didn't pain Martin greatly, though he acknowledged it could have been a better outcome.

"We were just hoping that we could be within a hundred points of [Gordon and Jimmie Johnson] coming out of Charlotte and here, because we know they own these two places," Martin said. "So for us to come out of here, I guess, 115 points behind and going to the two mile-and-a-halves we're going to -- I know they're going to be good there, but at least I know that's a strong point for us."

Earlier this season Bowyer qualified 15th and finished sixth at Atlanta, next week's venue; then qualified eighth and finished 16th at Texas, which is after Atlanta on the schedule.

But Sunday at Martinsville, both of Bowyer's main competitors for the championship, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Johnson and points leader Gordon, finished in front of him.

Johnson won his third consecutive Martinsville victory to move within 53 points of Gordon, who led the most laps and finished third.

Bowyer, who came into the sixth event of the 10-race Chase 78 points behind Gordon, left Martinsville 115 points behind Gordon and 62 behind Johnson. The good news is Bowyer is 134 points clear of fourth-place Tony Stewart.

But to get there, Bowyer and his crew battled a variety of handling characteristics through a particularly grueling 500 laps on Martinsville's slightly-banked half-mile.

"I guess that's what you could call persevering," Martin said. "We didn't have a very good car at the start of the race -- for about the first half of the race. And then we got it pretty good."

Bowyer started 21st and quickly fell as far back as 28th in the first 125 laps. He used pit strategy to get to fourth by Lap 175; but in short order was all the way back to 26th. But he and Martin managed to coordinate their pit work well enough to get into the top 10 by halfway. (Continued)