With Chase berth secure, Bowyer eyes a bigger prize (cont'd)

With the reset, Kyle Busch leads the field into next weekend's Chase opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with 5,080 points. Bowyer, thanks to his Richmond victory in May, is fifth with 5,010 while Hamlin is sixth, also with 5,010 after winning at Martinsville in April. Gordon and Kenseth are 10th and 12th, respectively, with 5,000 points each.

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This Chase is short -- only 10 races -- and hopefully we can get started up on the right foot again because we're a lot farther forward in the points going into New Hampshire. So if we can come out of there with a good finish and momentum and on the right foot, the sky's the limit.

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CLINT BOWYER

Bowyer's day was the most nerve-wracking. On Lap 244, he restarted back near 30th position following pit stops while Ragan, who had been involved in an accident on Lap 122, was in eighth due to staying on the track. As the cars were positioned on the racetrack, Ragan was in the Chase and Bowyer was out.

Bowyer was philosophical about it.

"That's all it takes," Bowyer said. "That's what this sport's all about -- it's a very humbling sport. We went from where things were looking good, we were running the top five and the car was fast to all of a sudden we're in the back and we couldn't go, we almost went a lap down and things got pretty tense. But I'm really proud of everybody for staying calm and sticking together -- getting the car correct and going back up front."

Martin, however, was a little irate at the circumstances that led to his car's momentary lapse.

"Man, it's a relief that it's over and we're in [the Chase]," Martin said. "There is absolutely no way that [stress] can be good for you right there. We got boxed in on that one caution where [NASCAR control] went quickie yellow [all cars, both lead lap and laps down, pit at the same time]. I have no idea why they did that, because we got messed up with [Juan Montoya, who was pitted in the adjacent box] getting into the pits and it cost us 15 spots. So we got messed up in the pits because they went quickie yellow and there was absolutely no reason -- because it wasn't raining or anything else. That ruined our day, obviously, but it still turned out all right.

"The car was a top-five car all day long and at the end it was running [the leader's] lap times and we had to come from a deep hole to get back out. We were 29th, 28th and we passed our way back up to 12th and that was a testament to how good the car was and how good a job Clint did."

Bowyer began a 100-lap digging spree that put him back into the top 15 and, after three of the race's total 14 cautions flew in the last 100 laps, into 12th.

"I knew it was going to be a rollercoaster day for us," Bowyer said. "You start up front, things are going good and you're in the top five and all of a sudden you're in the back and the car got tight because we were back there in traffic. That's crunch time when the lead lappers are coming -- pretty nerve-wracking, but a caution fell that time, thank God, and everything worked out."

Now, with his position in the championship hunt locked in, Bowyer can figure out how to get into position to do what he did in last year's Chase, namely win the kickoff race in New Hampshire.

"It's huge because that's another good racetrack for us, obviously," Bowyer said. "After moving up the ladder, we won't go into it so far back and we'll be able to move forward."

A year ago Bowyer, who was criticized by some for making the Chase without winning a race, qualified on the pole, led the most laps and won his first career race in the Sylvania 300 -- the kickoff again of the 10-race Chase.

Bowyer came into the 2007 Chase in 12th, 60 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson and ended up third, 376 points behind the two-time defending champion Johnson.

"Anybody can do that," Bowyer said of his 2008 competition. "This Chase is short -- only 10 races -- and hopefully we can get started up on the right foot again because we're a lot farther forward in the points going into New Hampshire. So if we can come out of there with a good finish and momentum and on the right foot, the sky's the limit."

Martin was sure of one thing, and that was that his team had earned its way into the Chase for the second year in a row.

"The best thing is that we got down and a lot of people counted us out, and we got back in," Martin said. "So we're looking forward to rolling into Loudon and this time we're going to roll in there with a win. The best thing about it is [the media] isn't going to be asking us how we got into the Chase without a win, and we've got our best tracks coming up."

Now that they're in, at least Gordon and Hamlin were enthused about their chances, while Kenseth continued to be skeptical.

"We were really strong at the start of the race and just seemed like the adjustments we made we lost a little bit of track position -- just couldn't never make up that ground," Gordon said. "Good effort, good racecar. I'm real proud of this team and I'm looking forward to starting this Chase.

"We take every race one at a time. Obviously it hasn't been the best year for us up to this point. We're searching; we're working hard and [coming] together as a team the best we can. We put out that best effort every single weekend thinking that we can win ... and hope that we surprise them in this Chase."

Hamlin was equally optimistic.

"Three thirds in a row after that [engine] problem in Michigan -- you can't ask for much more for a Chase run," Hamlin said. "We have momentum I feel like and it's a way to hopefully start off the Chase on a good foot by having these strong finishes. That's what this FedEx team needed."

Kenseth is one of only two drivers to make all five Chases, but his outlook wasn't as bright as those of Gordon and Hamlin.

"That's one of worst races I probably could have drove, so it was very frustrating and very disappointing," Kenseth said. "I'm glad we're in, in a way, but in another way with the way we're operating, I don't think we'll be a factor when we get there. We've just got to get rolling and get back into getting some good finishes and get working together and doing all that."