Bowyer hung tough to clinch first Nationwide title (cont'd)

Bowyer said the championship was payback to his parents, who underwrote his early racing career on local dirt tracks around his Emporia, Kan., home; and to team owner Childress, who gave a Midwest kid a chance after seeing him excel in an ARCA race that Bowyer attempted, almost as a last-gasp attempt at getting noticed.

"It's just incredible [to win this Nationwide championship]," Bowyer said. "It makes you think back to how it all started, you know, working in a body shop in Kansas and trying to figure out what was the next move. You're out of money, your parents gave up three retirements to get you where you're at, and it was kind of the end of the road.

"Out of nowhere, my cell phone rings and it was Richard [Childress]. It was just unbelievable to think back how my career started with the [ARCA] race in Nashville and then winning my first race in the Nationwide Series at Nashville.

"To be able to win our first championship with Dan [Deeringhoff, crew chief] and all the guys on the No. 2 Chevrolet and all our partners, very proud to be able to do this for Richard -- it kind of feels like giving back for taking a chance on me, and finally it paid off.

"I'm just really proud of everybody at RCR -- we're strong. It's fun to be able to roll through RCR as a racecar driver and know the guys and know that they're pulling for you and happy that you're racing for them. That's what Richard has formed there -- a family atmosphere where a guy can go there and feel like family."

In the end beating Edwards, who capped the season finishing second in both Sprint Cup and Nationwide points and winning six of the last eight races in both series meant the most for Bowyer.

"Carl is a hell of a racecar driver, there's no way of getting around it," Bowyer said. "I'm damn proud to be able to beat a racecar driver like that and a team and an organization [Roush Fenway Racing] like he's got behind him. It says a lot about ours and the people that surround me.

"Carl, he's been a long-time friend from those [beginning] days, and I think it's a true testament to the stepping stones of NASCAR. We both came from the Weekly Racing Series, went through the Regional Touring Series and he went to the Truck Series. Luckily I got the right phone call and went to the [Busch] Series. It's fun to be able to come back here, what -- five, six years later and be able to race each other for championships. It really is fun."

At least it was, once that 21-point margin was secure.