Clint Bowyer focused on making Chase, not 2016 plans

Two months ago as his performance waned and Michael Waltrip Racing struggled to field competitive cars, Clint Bowyer didn’t envision holding the final Chase for the Sprint Cup spot with one regular-season race remaining.

But provided no new winner breaks through, Bowyer can clinch a playoff berth with a finish of 28th or better Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. That scenario has him feeling optimistic of earning a Chase bid after not qualifying last season. He is 29 points ahead of Aric Almirola, the first driver outside of the Chase.

“I’ve always loved this racetrack,” Bowyer said Friday. “From the first time I ever came here, I remember making laps around here thinking, ‘Man, this is a perfect size race track.’ It’s always raced well and I’ve always had a lot of fun as we’re making laps around here. Couldn’t think of a better place to come to try to seal the deal and get ourselves into this Chase.

“If somebody was to win and something happened, it just wasn’t meant to be,” he added. “At the end of the day, we’ve done all we can do. We can go out and win this race, I can tell you that. We’ve done it before and we’re capable of that.”

After slow start to season, MWR attempted to spur improved results by swapping the crews of Bowyer and teammate David Ragan in mid-June. The changes produced the desired effect, as Bowyer has seven top-10 finishes in 11 races since being paired with crew chief Billy Scott.

While Bowyer’s focus is on making the Chase, he’s also trying to sort out his plans for 2016 and beyond, as MWR, co-owned by Rob Kauffman and Michael Waltrip, is dissolving at the end of the season.

Bowyer was originally thought to be moving with Kauffman to Chip Ganassi Racing, where Kauffman is buying an undisclosed stake in the team. That deal did not materialize and Bowyer is now free agent evaluating his options.

“As soon as the news comes out that you’re not going to have a future at your present employment, obviously you’re nervous and you’re worried about what that means for yourself,” Bowyer said. “It’s humbling the people that have reached out and been interested in me.”

With every major team having its 2016 driver lineup set, Bowyer will likely land with a smaller team for next season, then reexamine any potential openings for 2017. One option could include Stewart-Haas Racing where Bowyer, according to multiple reports, would replace a retiring Tony Stewart.

“Look what we’re in the middle of -- timing is good that it’s ahead and not the end of the year that you’re finding this out,” Bowyer said. “Nonetheless, it’s pretty crunching times right here. I don’t want to use the word ‘backburner,” but let’s just take a timeout right here for a couple weeks and take care of business.”