RELATED: MWR won’t field full-time entries in 2016
Wednesday’s news that Michael Waltrip Racing won’t be fielding full-time Sprint Cup Series teams in 2016 essentially turns the team’s lead driver, Clint Bowyer, into one of NASCAR’s highest profile free agents.
MWR and Bowyer agreed to mutually part ways at the end of the season, freeing the 2012 championship runner-up to look for a new ride and making his current title run an important resume-builder.
Bowyer is currently ranked 16th in the 16-driver Chase Grid standings with a slim 23-point edge over Aric Almirola for the final Chase berth with three races remaining to set the field.
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“I am looking forward to what future opportunities may come but for now we have a championship to pursue in 2015 and we owe it to every one of our sponsors, partners, employees and fans to deliver on and off the track,” Bowyer said in a statement released Tuesday announcing his and the MWR team’s plans.
“I want to thank Michael, Rob (Kauffman) and everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing that made these past four years special. After extensive discussions with Rob and MWR, we came to the point that we mutually agreed our paths in the future just didn’t align, but I think we all agreed on the next steps in a very professional manner.”
It’s clear they are committed to that path. Waltrip discussed Bowyer’s Chase scenario and his inspired motivation on FOX Sports 1 this morning after spending time with Bowyer at the team shop Wednesday morning.
“I’m going to tell you, that’s how fast your Chase world can change,” Waltrip said. “Clint was not only 15th in the points, some 60 to the good, he was within striking distance of being 11th, up there where Jamie McMurray is. And had a crash at Michigan with a really fast car, had a crash and it set him back.
“But I tell ya, it’s inspired Bowyer. I know there’s a lot of news around Michael Waltrip Racing, but he was at the shop today, talking to the team and said, ‘Boys, we’re going to race our way into this Chase, and when we get there, we’re gonna go some rounds.’ And that’s the kind of attitude you need from your race car driver and that’s the kind of attitude Clint has.”
Beyond his showing in this year’s championship run, the big question is what’s next for Bowyer, considered one of the NASCAR’s top-shelf competitors and one of its most popular personalities.
There will be plenty of speculation, however, Bowyer hasn’t said anything beyond the statement issued Tuesday.
The 36-year-old Kansas native is the 2008 XFINITY Series champion and has eight wins in 10 full-time Cup seasons, finishing second to Brad Keselowski in the 2012 championship, his first year with MWR.
It’s reasonable to consider one option for Bowyer is to follow his boss Kauffman to the Chip Ganassi Racing stable next season and bring his longtime sponsor 5-hour Energy to a third Chevrolet there.
Sponsor 5-hour Energy released a statement about the MWR news, as well.”5-Hour ENERGY has enjoyed a great relationship with Michael Waltrip Racing and Clint Bowyer since joining forces in 2012. MWR and Clint have delivered above and beyond with our partnership and we thank them for their dedication. Clint is a great amassador for our products, customers and retailers,” the release read. “The MWR team and Clint will continue to remain focused on getting 5-hour ENERGY in the Chase. We will make no further comment until we are ready to announce our future plans.”
Kauffman, who became a co-owner and major investor in MWR in 2007, announced earlier this month that he had also invested in the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team. Sabates confirmed that the organization would expand to three cars in 2016, but no further details have been released.
Another option down the road for Bowyer may include Furniture Row Racing, which is reportedly considering expanding to two teams. However, the team’s general manager, Joe Garone told FOXSports in June that adding a second car wasn’t realistic until at least 2017 and even then, it would be ambitious. The team’s current driver, another former MWR driver, Martin Truex Jr. , is having a career year with the team and ranks eighth in the Chase Grid.
There is also speculation that Bowyer’s future could include a job at Stewart-Haas Racing should its co-owner and three-time championship driver Tony Stewart retire and leave an open seat. However Stewart has not publicly indicated he has any timetable to retire.