Clint Bowyer wins Toyota Save Mart 350, stakes championship claim

Somewhere between laps 70 and 80 of Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350, the drivers of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series remembered where they were racing and what kind of show they were expected to deliver. But prior to that first caution, the race had proceeded to turn into a follow-the-leader style affair with virtually no overtaking, no speed and no excitement.

This race is sponsored by SaveMart, and apparently SaveFuel and SaveTires. #NASCAR #TSM350

— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) June 24, 2012

The race went the first 82 laps before the first yellow flag and set a new race record with only two cautions.

Clint Bowyer pronounced it the greatest race in NASCAR history, but he's slightly biased, having led 71 (of 110) laps, en route to his first win of the season, and first since signing with Michael Waltrip Racing back in November.

"I've had good teammates and good stuff before, but never like this," Bowyer said. "This is a young group, Michael stuck it out and I'm telling you, he's fixing to reap the benefits. He's worked hard."

How many of you thought Bowyer's career as a contender was over as soon as he left Richard Childress Racing? After all, he was leaving a team that was a season removed from having all three cars in the Chase for one that struggled to even win races during that span with David Reutimann, Michael Waltrip and Martin Truex Jr. behind the wheel.

In hindsight, the move was a masterstroke as Michael Waltrip Racing has earned most-improved honors throughout the first half of the season and now appears to have two sure-fire championship contenders in Bowyer and Truex.

With the victory, Bowyer now has three top-5s, nine top-10s, and is seventh in the standings. It appears that the off-season signings of Bowyer, Mark Martin, and crew chief Brian Pattie has reenergized Michael Waltrip Racing.

"This place just reminds me on how mightily we struggled when we started," Waltrip said. "Just five short years ago we were here and wondering what our future was like and how we were going to survive. We probably appreciate this more than anybody ever could, because we know how close we were to just not being around anymore, just six months out of our start.

"So to stand up there, be able to cheer with Brian and the team and see Clint take the checkered flag after all we have been through, it's just really special."

Sunday's victory could be remembered as the moment that Bowyer staked his claim on the 2012 championship. Time will tell.

Additional notes, a poll question, and a complete field rundown can be found after the jump.

Gordon qualified on the outside pole and quickly took the lead from Marcos Ambrose on lap 12. It was at this point he developed a severe lack of rear-grip and seceded the lead to Bowyer on lap 26. Bowyer never looked back and Gordon ran out of fuel on his next stint, forcing him to work double-time for a sixth-place finish.

[Read More: NASCAR Sonoma Results: Disappointing Finishes For Jeff Gordon, Marcos Ambrose]

"It's an amazing day, when you can do what we did," Busch said. "I'm a little choked up because A: We were in position. B: I was very considerate to Bowyer, who was going for his first win with the new team. And then C: which is most important, I made a mistake, I got into those tires in turn 11."

[Read More: Kurt Busch Finishes Third After Gutsy Effort]

While #WeWantRightTurns didn't go off as well as we had hoped, we'll try it again at Circuit Gilles Villanueve and Watkins Glen. Even the most exciting tracks like Martinsville and Richmond have dormant periods of less than exciting races.

It sometimes has less to do with the circuit and more to do with the formula. Goodyear's weaker compound carries some of the blame, and the sanctioning body will look at their road course package and reevaluate it as they see fit.

Lastly, both TNT and Speed conducted polls, asking their viewers about the prospects of adding a road course to the Chase for the Championship. Both polls revealed overwhelming support for adding such a race. But how about you? Take a moment to vote in the poll at the end of this post and discuss it in the comments section below.

NASCAR Ranting and Raving will be live on-site all weekend at Kentucky Speedway and will provide exclusive content across all mediums. Keep reading the blog and follow us on Twitter at @MattWeaverSBN and @NASCARRnR.

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