Filed under: Clint Bowyer, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Richard Childress Racing, NASCAR
The smiles and friendly glances Clint Bowyer offered reporters as he walked into his news conference Friday at Dover (Del.) International Speedway were quickly replaced with a defiant demeanor and scolding words as he insisted his Richard Childress Racing team did not field an illegal car last week and did not deserve the heavy handed penalties issued by NASCAR this week."I'm angry at the whole thing,'' Bowyer said. "This has tarnished my win, something I'm very proud of.''
Before taking questions from the floor, Bowyer read off a single page of notebook paper -- notes he made after waking up uncharacteristically early and very anxious at 6 a.m.
The usually easy-going Kansas native reiterated his team's defense of its victory in last week's Chase for the Cup playoff opener at New Hampshire even though NASCAR ruled his car was illegal and suspended his crew chief and car chief for six races. Perhaps most devastating, Bowyer received a 150-point penalty that dropped him from second in the standings to last among the 12 championship contenders, with nine races remaining to decide the season title.
At one point Friday morning, Bowyer urged the reporters in the room to pull out a quarter and look at it sideways, pointing out the infraction NASCAR found was less than the width of the coin.
"Does that look like it could have been performance enhancing?'' Bowyer challenged the room.
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