If you’re looking for a reason to watch Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, Clint Bowyer is ready to make the pitch.
The longtime NASCAR driver won 10 races in his Cup Series career but never finished better than second at the 1.5-mile track, which played host to the closest finish of all time back in May.
Bowyer was on the call for FOX for that race, and he’s a fervent believer that the site of this weekend’s Round of 12 opener is the most entertaining track in the Cup Series.
Bowyer on Kansas Speedway: ‘They fixed that place’
Earlier this week, Bowyer caught up with Shannon Spake on NASCAR Daily about being in the broadcast booth for that historic finish at Kansas Speedway in May.
Bowyer, a Kansas native, had nothing but praise for his home track, which has hosted some of the most thrilling finishes in the Cup Series since it was repaved in 2012.
None were better than the spring race this season, when Kyle Larson continued his dominance at intermediate tracks by beating Chris Buescher by 0.001 seconds.
“Not the best race track for me, not the best race track for NASCAR over the years …” he said. “But they fixed that place. They fixed that baby in a big way.”
Bowyer praised the track for its ability to support four- or even five-wide driving with its multiple racing grooves along the repaced surface. He also highlighted the chaotic restarts that help produce wild results like the one we saw in May.
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If any fan were to ask him where to watch their first-ever NASCAR race, Bowyer says Kansas Speedway would be the easy call.
“I believe in my heart that’s our best product for NASCAR right now,” he said.
Bowyer predicts Bell to win NASCAR title
While Sunday’s race marks the beginning of the Round of 12, Bowyer already has his eyes on the championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 10.
Christopher Bell won the spring race at Phoenix back in March, and Bowyer has been high on the No. 20 all season long after he fell short in the Championship 4 each of the last two years.
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“I said at the beginning of the year it’s Christopher Bell’s year …” Bowyer said. “He’s going to quietly win this championship.”
Bowyer has Bell beating out 2021 champion Kyle Larson, who enters Sunday’s race at Kansas ranked first in the playoff standings after a dominant win last week at Bristol.
He also has Denny Hamlin and two-time champion Joey Logano rounding out the Championship 4. All four drivers rank in the top eight in the playoff standings, and they’ve all previously won at Phoenix.