RELATED: Full results from Bristol | Updated standings
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- After the tumultuous week that was for Michael Waltrip Racing, the embattled team was neatly set up for a double ray of Saturday night sunshine in the sport's most prestigious nighttime event. The much-needed shot in the arm wound up being a split decision at Bristol Motor Speedway, owing to a doubly unfortunate late-race collision between the organization's two teammates.
Clint Bowyer's determined drive in Saturday's Irwin Tools Night Race wrapped up a fifth-place finish, the No. 15 Toyota team's fourth top-10 effort in the last five events and a solidifying boost to his Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs footing. Teammate David Ragan -- poised to join his teammate in the front-running quintet -- exited early, catching the worst of the Lap 371 tangle that dented both MWR entries.
RELATED: See what happened to Ragan
"Damn, you hate to have two good cars and the last person you want to get into and have trouble with is your teammate," Bowyer said. "I've been sick to death about that. We had two top-five cars and MWR really needed that run."
Michael Waltrip Racing announced Wednesday that it would cease its full schedule of Sprint Cup participation at season's end, granting Bowyer his release. But in the same announcement, team co-owner Rob Kauffman stressed that "MWR will race hard and compete for the remainder of the 2015 season."
RELATED: MWR won't field full-time entries in 2016
Both Bowyer and Ragan clearly took the "race hard" portion of the statement to heart, putting both cars into the top 10 of the starting lineup. Ragan moved as high as third in the running order, picking up six spots on a long green-flag run after the 500-lapper's midway point. That charge placed him right behind Bowyer, who stormed into the top five after a series of early gains.
The high hopes went haywire, though, just four laps after a Lap 368 restart. Bowyer and Ragan bottled up on the low side of Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet, which forced the two MWR cars to make contact in a three-abreast clash at the exit of Turn 2. Ragan's No. 55 Toyota spun low, resulting in severe contact with the inside retaining wall.
Bowyer righted himself and continued, but made contact with Brad Keselowski's No. 2 Ford at the end of the straightaway, looping the No. 15. From there, Bowyer was able to stay on the lead lap and methodically rally again, edging Keselowski for the last spot among the top five.
"We desperately needed a solid run right there," Bowyer said. "I mean, obviously, you're hungry for a win with this organization giving everything it had. I drove my ass off. It just ... we just came up short. I’m really proud of all of these guys on the 5-hour Energy Toyota. They're digging, man. It's fun to be a part of this. It's fun to be a part of a group that can answer the call when you gotta dig down and reach down a little bit more to get in that Chase and be a part of that elite group. These guys are up for the challenge."
The outcome was more disheartening for Ragan, who was closing in on his first top-five or top-10 since joining Michael Waltrip Racing as an interim driver in May.
"It's uncalled for to get wrecked and to be involved in a wreck like that but all in all just one of those racing things," Ragan said. "… Anytime you're in that top five or with a chance to win, it's disappointing. This is one of my favorite races and we did the best we could."
MWR's silver lining, though, came from Bowyer, who improved his grip on the 16th and final berth in the provisional Chase grid. His top-five allowed him to increase his margin from 23 to 35 points over nearest challenger Aric Almirola, Saturday night's 17th-place finisher.
Though the No. 15 team is mindful of what it needs to become playoff-eligible in the remaining two regular-season races, crew chief Billy Scott said the crew hasn't let it alter their strategy or outlook.
"We try to put that on the back burner," Scott said. "Until Richmond, it really doesn't matter. All you can do is look after yourself and get the best finish we can right now. When we get down to the last few at Richmond, it might matter with your strategy a little bit to keep an eye on where they are, but if we keep doing what we need to, it'll take care of itself."