Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Clint Bowyer wins rain-shortened race at Michigan on strategy call

FT95eiX5JnYy
Clint Bowyer held off Kevin Harvick before the caution and eventual red flag would wave due to rain to capture the victory at Michigan.

Clint Bowyer capitalized on a two-tire stop to take the lead and eventual win Sunday, winning the rain-shortened Firekeepers 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

It’s the second victory of the season for Bowyer’s No. 14 Ford, which also won at Martinsville Speedway.

Bowyer was the first lead-lap car to exit the pits under yellow after the second stage ended on Lap 120. He took the lead on Lap 124 when Kasey Kahne pitted from first.

MORE: Race results

MORE: Points standings

Bowyer then held off teammate Kevin Harvick (whose No. 4 Ford was on four tires) on a Lap 126 restart.

The caution flag flew for a final time when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun after contact with Kahne on Lap 129. NASCAR red-flagged the race on Lap 133 of a scheduled 200 as rain and mist covered the 2-mile oval. The race’s results were deemed official a few minutes later.

It was the second weather delay of the afternoon. The race started at 4:45 p.m., two and half hours after its original green-flag time because of persistent showers.

Harvick finished second, and Kurt Busch was third to make it a 1-2-3 sweep for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Stage 1 winner: Ryan Blaney

Stage 2 winner: Kevin Harvick

Who had a good day: Ryan Blaney (eighth) led 15 laps for his second top 10 in seven starts at Michigan. … Kurt Busch (third) scored his third top five this season and his first at Michigan since winning there in 2015. … Kyle Busch (fourth) earned his best Michigan showing in five years.

Who had a bad day: The first Cup start of Garrett Smithley’s career ended early after mechanical problems at the green flag. … David Ragan finished a season-worst 38th after contact with Bubba Wallace. … Kyle Larson finished 28th after spinning in his bid for a fourth consecutive victory at Michigan.

Notable: Fords took seven of the top eight spots. … With seven wins through 15 of 36 races, Stewart-Haas Racing already has tied its high for a season. … Bowyer has won twice in 10 races since ending a 190-race winless drought.

Quotable: “I was able to just get by (Harvick) because he left me room and was courteous and a good teammate,” Bowyer said about the last restart. “I tried to give him enough room but just enough that I was going to try to stay in front of him and take the air off him. That is the only thing you can really do in that situation.”

Next: Toyota/Save Mart 350, 3 p.m. ET, June 24 at Sonoma Raceway. TV: FS1