NASCAR at Martinsville recap: Clint Bowyer’s losing streak comes to a decisive end

Clint Bowyer had won at NASCAR’s top level previously, but amidst a winless streak going on five-plus years, the whispers were growing louder whether he could still be a winner in the Cup Series.

And having joined Stewart-Haas Racing a year ago, gone were the excuses Bowyer once had his disposal that he wasn’t with a top-tier organization where he had the necessary resources to produce the expected results. When the 38-year-old yo-yoed through underwhelming 2017 season, he entered this season knowing he must win or else.

If he failed, it would be on him and him alone.

Any questions about Bowyer, his ability, and if he deserved a spot on SHR’s roster were resoundingly answered with a dominate victory Monday at Martinsville Speedway. This wasn’t a fluke where circumstances converged in his favor and he capitalized. No, this was a stomping on a half-mile track that places a premium on a driver’s skill like no other on the schedule.

Bowyer led 215 of the final 219 laps to handily win the STP 500 with over a one-second margin between himself and second-place Kyle Busch. It was an atypical performance from a driver who had led all of 145 laps in the past four years.

“It’s been a long time,” Bowyer said. “You start to question if you can get it done or not. To have it come at this place meant a lot.”

Backed by three finishes of fifth or better in the championship standings within his first six seasons, there was a time when Bowyer was regarded as a budding superstar. And possessing a charismatic and outsized personality it appeared he would become one of the faces of NASCAR.

Then, after Bowyer won a postseason race at Charlotte Motor Speedway — a season that he finished runner-up to champion Brad Keselowski — on Oct. 13, 2012, the winning stopped. The following year Bowyer was prominently involved in a cheating scandal that culminated with Michael Waltrip Racing being slapped with a record $300,000 fine by NASCAR and teammate Martin Truex Jr. getting booted out of the playoffs.

The heavy sanctions and irremissible taint of scandal eventually factored significantly in MWR shuttering two years later, forcing Bowyer to look elsewhere for employment. By happenstance, Tony Stewart announced he would retire following the 2016 season and the SHR co-owner needed a replacement. Even then, Bowyer had to sign on with a low-budget team for a year as a bridge between MWR closing and him linking up with SHR.

Being named Stewart’s successor brought with it a lot of pressure, made more so by the fact SHR had firmly entrenched itself as an upper-echelon organization flush with resources and capital. Stewart won SHR’s first title in 2011, Kevin Harvick delivered a second in 2014 and nearly a third the following year.

But instead of flourishing, Bowyer floundered too frequently last season. While teammates Harvick won twice and qualified for the championship final and Kurt Busch won the Daytona 500, Bowyer languished where three second-place finishes were offset by six finishes of 30th or worse. The inconsistency cost him a playoff spot.

Although performance had improved this season, Bowyer still hadn’t won in 190 races and counting entering Martinsville with little indication the drought was reaching its endpoint.

Extra motivation came Monday as Bowyer drove to the Virginia track for the race postponed a day by a snowstorm. He looked at his 3-year-old son and said to him he wanted a picture of them celebrating in victory lane. Cash then responded by telling his dad he wanted the checkered flag.

Father and son both got their wish and Cash was prominently featured in the post-race festivities, which included Bowyer asking for a beer while in the middle of a national television interview, then strolling into the grandstands where he celebrated with fans by chugging more beer.

“For whatever reason, it felt right driving up here,” Bowyer said. “It’s such a cool place to be able to drive up through the countryside on a two-lane road and think about the race.

“I don’t know why it just felt right; today was going to be our day. I had that confidence going into the race.”

The gap between Bowyer’s last and latest triumph is the third longest in NASCAR, only surpassed by Bill Elliott (226 races) and Truex Jr. (218). Bowyer hopes his breakthrough mirrors Truex, who after snapping his streak in 2013 began a career resurgence that culminated with him capturing the Cup Series championship last year.

“It’s just so cool to see,” Truex said. “(Bowyer’s) worked so hard through a lot and has had a couple of tough seasons. And now he’s obviously with a great team. They have started the year off strong. “

As evident by SHR having won four of the first six races this season — including Harvick taking three straight — there may be no matter opportunity than the present. The pieces are obviously all there.

Now it is up to Bowyer to put them together; exactly like he did on Monday.

“This is a year that’s starting to shape up to where I feel like I’m accustomed to,” Bowyer said, “way back when I was confident that we were going to go to the end of the year and we were going to compete for a championship.”