By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Clint Bowyer was looking like an eventual Brickyard 400 winner after driving his No. 14 Ford to the lead for 37 laps. It was the most laps led in Monday’s 160-lapper at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a career-best for Bowyer at the 2.5-mile track.
However, the race slipped through his hands when a cautions and pit stops became key in the closing 20 laps. While Bowyer spun the tires on a lap-149 restart, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Erik Jones slipped through along with Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick.
Just like that, Bowyer was dropped to fifth, where he would finish the event.
“It’s a game of luck. There wasn’t much strategy,” Bowyer said after the frustrating end. “You can’t strategize for cautions you don’t know are going to exist. I felt we were definitely faster than the No. 11 [Hamlin] but when he beat us out of the pits, that position — nobody passed anybody for the lead unless they had a huge advantage on tires.”
“All of a sudden, the cautions come out and handed the No. 2 the win. That’s what’s frustrating. That’s the nature of the beast here.”
Monday’s rain-postponed race was a bit of something new for Bowyer at Indy. Earning his first top five since 2010 at the track, he only led six laps in his prior 12 Brickyard 400s and decimated that stat with his 37 out front Monday.
Despite these numbers, victory is what Bowyer couldn’t shake, as passing was as difficult as ever for the No. 14 and what cost him (and anyone else) who lost track position.
“When you’re on a drag-race restart like that when you have to wait until he does something, you’re behind,” he said. “The only thing you can possibly do is roll up to him, which I was trying. All they have to do is check and break your momentum. Then you’re screwed.
“When they’re dead-straight drag races like that, you’re at a disadvantage, which you should be. He’s the leader. The problem is those guys on tires behind you aren’t able to roll to you. They’re the ones with the advantage.”
Bowyer enters the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs as the fifth seed. It will be his seventh playoff appearance.