JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Clint Bowyer is typically a high-wattage personality, so when he arrived in Florida on Tuesday to tour the Naval Air Station Jacksonville to help promote the upcoming Daytona 500, he was absolutely in his element.
The sailors and airmen were excited to meet the Stewart-Haas Racing driver and he was ecstatic to talk about his legitimately high expectations when the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season gets on track at Daytona International Speedway later this month.
"I'm probably as excited for the Daytona 500 in particular -- forget the season starting -- as I've been in a long time," Bowyer said Tuesday from Jacksonville. "I'm as confident in my chances as I've been in a long time.
"I think our cars are looking really good. They've been in the wind tunnel, the guys have been working really hard and we're actually going back to the wind tunnel to perfect them even more.
"So the commitment to the plate racing is something I haven't seen in a while and I'm really excited about the horsepower. Doug Yates has been over to the shop and I've been out-run by his horsepower at these restrictor plate tracks for a few years now so I'm looking forward to reaping the benefits of having one of those under the hood and I think that's how you're going to win this race."
Bowyer, 37, has certainly been close enough to hoisting the sport's biggest trophy. He has finished in the top-10 in half of his starts on the superspeedway, including four of the last five Daytona races. He has three top-five finishes including fourth-place runs in the 2009 and 2010 Daytona 500.
Last year Bowyer even salvaged a ninth-place run in the July Daytona race despite driving for an underfunded team, as he waited for his ride at Stewart-Haas to become available in 2017.
And now after a season of mostly frustration -- only three top-10s in 2016 -- driving for a lower-tier, now-defunct team, Bowyer will at last take over the steering wheel from his good friend, three-time Cup champ and team owner Tony Stewart in the famous No. 14 Mobil 1 Ford.
And for the first time in years, Bowyer feels like all systems are a go.
"I'm not blowing smoke when I say I really am confident about my chances at that race," he said about the Daytona 500. "I've gotten close several times at that race. It's one of those tracks you feel like, 'Darn it, I'm gonna win this some day.' I think the cars are looking good in my favor. The equipment I've got underneath me is the best I've had in a long time and the commitment to winning not only (at Daytona) but everywhere is something I haven't seen in a long time and I'm looking forward to having that to my advantage."
As for his visit to Florida this week, Bowyer enjoyed his time spending a day with servicemen. And he offered a heartfelt reminder that fans can show their appreciation for these men and women too -- donate $3, $5, or $10 to the Ticket for the Troops programs and Daytona International Speedway will match the money in its efforts to send military members and their families to the "Great American Race" on Feb. 26.
And Bowyer is hopeful that means they will have a chance to see him again -- standing tall and celebrating loudly in Daytona's Victory Lane.
"I really don't know what I'd do if I won the Daytona 500," Bowyer said. "But this is one of the best opportunities I've ever had and the confidence is as high as it's ever been.
"It felt good to talk racing again, talk about the season and talk to the media. The biggest thing having these interviews kind of tells me is maybe the media is thinking I do have a chance at not only running well but winning a few of these races. I'm looking forward to getting down there to Daytona, getting in the saddle and working with my teammates and coming up with a good package and a good plan to put ourselves in contention."