Kevin Harvick only needed to start the Bank of America Roval 400 to advance to Round 2 of the playoffs.
The remainder of the Stewart-Haas Racing organization had a less certain fate last week.
“It wasn’t much sleep the last couple nights,” Bowyer said after the race in the Charlotte media center. “The little one woke up at 5 a.m., and once you’re up, you start thinking about this gremlin that’s ahead of you today, there wasn’t any more sleeping.”
Bowyer was the only driver who started outside of the top 12 in points who managed to advance.
Aric Almirola was involved in multiple incidents before ultimately advancing on a tiebreaker.
Kurt Busch started on the pole and avoided trouble all afternoon.
All four of SHR’s drivers made it through to the next round – giving them one-third of the playoff field.
Now that they are through to Round 2, the odds of them advancing again are high, according to NASCAR America’s Dave Burns.
“Crazy isn’t it?” Burns said. “All four Stewart-Haas cars into the second round. And their outlook is pretty good.”
Harvick has 50 playoff bonus points and victories at Dover and Kansas earlier this year – two of the three tracks that make up this round.
Bowyer has two previous wins at Talladega and will close out Round 2 on his home track in Kansas.
Busch finished an average of fifth this spring on the three tracks that make up the playoffs.
Almirola has to believe that all of his bad luck is behind him after being involved in so many incidents last week on the Charlotte Roval.
For more, watch the video above.