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Clint Bowyer through the years
By Staff Report | Tuesday, December 8, 2020
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Clint Bowyer has had quite the NASCAR career, and he announced he'll transition from Cup Series racing to a role with FOX Sports in 2021. See highlights from Bowyer's driving days as he prepares to write his next chapter in the sport.
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Bowyer's NASCAR career began in the ARCA Menards Series, the Midwest Series and the ARCA Series West, leading to a ride with Richard Childress Racing in what is now called the Xfinity Series. He drove 17 races for RCR in that series in 2004 and then a full season in 2005, working with crew chief Gil Martin.
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Bowyer's first Cup Series start was on April 23, 2005 at Phoenix Raceway. It was his only start that year, driving the No. 33 Sylvania Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
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Bowyer began racing full-time in the Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing in 2006, piloting the No. 07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet. Crew chief Gil Martin (second from right) and Bowyer would reunite after their time together in the Xfinity Series.
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Foreshadowing a strong season, Bowyer won his first pole award in 2007 at Darlington Raceway.
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Bowyer's first win also came in 2007 with RCR, piloting the No. 07 to victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He also compiled five top-five and 17 top-10 finishes that year and was third in the season's final standings.
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Bowyer's first multi-win season came in 2010 -- the first of those victories was another triumph at New Hampshire, where he led 177 laps.
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Bowyer's tenure at RCR came to an end at the close of 2011, and his final win with the organization came by a narrow margin over teammate Jeff Burton at Talladega Superspeedway. Two of his five RCR wins came at the 2.66-mile track.
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In 2012, Bowyer moved to Michael Waltrip Racing's No. 15 team and captured his first road-course win at Sonoma Raceway.
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Celebrating his win in the Bank of America 500 with team owner Michael Waltrip, this was Bowyer's third win of the 2012 season. Bowyer finished the year second in the points standings.
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Mired in the championship battle, Bowyer's title hopes faded at Phoenix in November. Jeff Gordon wrecked the No. 15 in the final laps after months of tension between the two, setting off a mad scramble in the garage that included Bowyer sprinting from his damaged car to confront Gordon in his hauler.
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Bowyer followed up his strong 2012 with a solid 2013 that saw him second in the standings for much of the summer. A post-Richmond Raceway penalty to Bowyer and the MWR organization derailed his title chances.
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The 2015 season marked Bowyer's last with Michael Waltrip Racing. He qualified for the playoffs after a one-year absence from the postseason.
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In 2016, Bowyer drove the No. 15 Chevrolet for HScott Motorsports. Bowyer, pictured with the late Harry Scott Jr., had three top-10 finishes.
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In 2017, Bowyer -- here talking in the garage area with team co-owner Tony Stewart and then-teammate Kurt Busch -- moved to Stewart-Haas Racing's No. 14 ride. Bowyer showed he was competitive again with 13 top-10 finishes and three runner-up finishes at Sonoma, Bristol Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway (Coke Zero 400).
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Bowyer celebrates his first victory in 190 races with son Cash, wife Lorra and daughter Presley in 2018 at Martinsville Speedway. The win locked him into the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
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The popular Bowyer went into the stands after his Martinsville win to celebrate with the fans after a Monday victory. Bowyer's fun-loving personality has made him a hit with fans throughout his career.
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Bowyer's spring win at Michigan International Speedway in 2018 gave him 10 Cup Series victories in his career.
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Bowyer swarmed Ryan Newman's car after the All-Star Race in 2019, throwing and landing several punches before Newman had climbed from his car. The two memorably appeared at an autograph session together later in the week.
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The combination of six top fives and 12 top 10s was just enough to help Bowyer point his way into the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs. Bowyer finished ninth overall.
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SHR announced Bowyer's return to the No. 14 for a fourth season in 2020. Bowyer also got a new crew chief, as John Klausmeier moved from Aric Almirola's No. 10 ride to work with Bowyer.
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Bowyer announced Oct. 8, 2020 he would retire from his Cup Series career to work with FOX Sports in the 2021 season. Bowyer, who has been a part-time contributor for FOX Sports even before the announcement, said: "To say I'm excited would be an understatement."
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Bowyer wrapped up his Cup Series career in the 2020 finale at Phoenix Raceway. His family took time out during pre-race ceremonies for a group picture with the family of Jimmie Johnson, who also retired from full-time competition at the end of the season.
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