Big One victim Bowyer able to keep finish streak alive

TALLADEGA, Ala. -- When Clint Bowyer's battered No. 33 Chevrolet returned to the garage area on the back of a tow truck after the Lap 7 accident in Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway, his chances of keeping his streak of running at the finish of 81 consecutive races seemed over.

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When the smoke and dust settled, several cars were in need of extensive repair.

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The entire front end of the car was crushed nearly to the engine block. The front clip was bent at a 45-degree angle. The drive train was hanging from one set of bolts. Four other cars involved in the multi-car accident were declared officially out, but while the race went on, Bowyer's crew had a mission.

They were bound and determined to do what it took to get that car back on the track, even if it was for the final lap.

"Without a doubt, this car shouldn't have been out there," Bowyer said. "With that amount of damage, we normally would have put it in the truck and quit. But that's not what this team is made out of, that's not what RCR is made out of. So I'm really proud of them."

The area in front of the Bowyer garage stall was a jumble of tools, wrenches, nuts, bolts, washers, hoses and plastic clips, as the crew used anything and everything to try and repair a car that intially looked unrepairable. Not only that, but they were under pressure to do it before the drop of the checkered flag.

"It took them three hours but I'm really proud of what they accomplished there," car owner Richard Childress said while the work was ongoing. "If we get out and make that one lap and finish the race, it's due to all these guys' hard work. It was totalled."

The first step was assessment, as the team made a visual inspection of what could be salvaged and what needed to be replaced. Then they commenced to tearing off the torn sheet metal, the busted radiator, the exhaust pipes, both A-arms and replacing the transmission. With more than a dozen team members, including some from the Childress organization, the car was stripped down to its basic parts, and then repair work began. (Continued)