Bowyer's win garners three contingency awards

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Clint Bowyer and the No. 33 Chevrolet team ran near the front of the pack during a high-speed duel, took the lead with 10 laps remaining and held off teammate Kevin Harvick to win the Amp Energy Juice 500 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway and capture three post-race contingency awards.

Bowyer held off a hard-charging Harvick on the low side of the track and momentarily awaited the official announcement as a last-lap caution froze the field and necessitated an officials' review of the finish which showed Bowyer slightly ahead of Harvick. Harvick overcame an earlier incident and his second-place finish pulls him to within 38 points of Chase leader Jimmie Johnson.

For the No. 33 team from Richard Childress Racing, the effort earned them the Sunoco Diamond Performance award as the highest-finishing eligible driver, as well as the MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Race award for Earnhardt Childress Racing. This was the second MAHLE Clevite award of the season for the No. 33 team and the seventh overall for ECR Engines. The award is provided to the top engine builder for qualifying and finishing position.

Interim crew chief Scott Miller earned the DirecTV Crew Chief of the Race award, given weekly to the crew chief of the driver who has demonstrated the best qualifying and race effort based on finishing times during the weekend. This is the first such award for Miller and the second for the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing team.

The awards are part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the Contingency Program, which provide teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.

"We were real close to winning three of the seven races we participated in, in this Chase," Bowyer said. "That's due to great preparation from Shane Wilson and everybody on this No. 33 team. A lot of people don't realize how much work goes into this. Those pit crew guys, the guys that build the bodies, build these race cars week in and week out at the race shop, to be able to win.

"Shane built an awesome race car. Scott has done a great job all year long of being a competition director and filling that role that we never had, filling the void. To be able to step in and come close to winning two races in the four races he's been here is pretty incredible. So very proud of the job that he's done stepping in for us."