NASCAR News: Clint Bowyer will make his NASCAR National Series return in the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on June 28. Bowyer will pilot the No. 7 truck for Spire Motorsports.
Clint Bowyer is back! The FOX Sports commentator will strap on the helmet and gloves again as he’ll slide behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado in the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Nashville Superspeedway.
“Having Clint Bowyer drive our No. 7 at Nashville Superspeedway just demonstrates how committed Spire Motorsports is to having a true all-star lineup in that truck,” said Spire Motorsports president Doug Duchardt. “Clint is part of an exclusive club of drivers who have won in the Truck Series, Xfinity Series and Cup Series. When you see his track record at Nashville, it almost makes you shake your head. It’s pretty incredible. He’s a great personality and, as Brian (Pattie) well knows, he’s a lot of fun. We’re grateful to have him and we think he gives us a great shot at winning the race.”
Bowyer has not run a NASCAR-sanctioned event since retiring from NASCAR Cup Series competition following the 2020 season.
The 44-year-old racer is one of the biggest personalities in the sport, and he’ll for sure bring the party with him to Nashville for his start behind the wheel of the truck in Nashville. To make the start even more special for Bowyer, he’ll be paired with Brian Pattie, who served as his NASCAR Cup Series crew chief from 2012 to 2015.
“For me, it’s the tie between working with (Brian) Pattie and the good old days,” said Bowyer. “Putting the band back together, so to speak, and having some fun. Nashville is a cool racetrack that has meant a lot to me over the years. Separate from that, it’s about the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. That’s a really fun series. It’s a fun vehicle to drive. There’s a lot of drag and you can drive them hard and get away with it. You can really hustle a truck. This race should be right in my wheelhouse.”
Pattie says reuniting with Bowyer will be fun, and he admits that the team has attempted to lure Bowyer into one of their trucks for a while now.
“Clint and I had a lot of success winning races and coming close to a Cup Series championship, so it’ll be a lot of fun to work with him again,” said Pattie. “We’ve been trying to get him in one of our trucks since early last year, so I’m excited to see it finally come together and I’m confident that we can go out and compete for the win.”
The Emporia, Kansas native has three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins in 14 career starts, and he’ll look to etch a fourth victory onto his belt this time around. And if he can do it, Nashville would be a special track for it to happen at as Bowyer made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at the 1.33-mile concrete oval back in 2004.
“Nashville means a lot to me. Fate is the only thing that I can attribute to this opportunity coming about,” Bowyer added. “My career in NASCAR happened because of Nashville. My first race win in NASCAR was at Nashville. It takes me back to my first ARCA race in 2003. I’ve always raced well there. Not to put pressure on myself, but I have. I’ve never finished outside the top five at Nashville Superspeedway, and I think I’ve got close to a second-place average finish. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything but what’s important is the opportunity to get back together and work with Brian Pattie. I had so much fun racing with him during the MWR days. We about won a championship together.”
The Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway is set for Friday, June 28, and will be aired on FS2 beginning at 8:00 PM ET.
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