Refreshed and relaxed after a week that featured elk hunting and some time in Las Vegas, Clint Bowyer said he's put the issue of his team's penalty behind him. Bowyer said the incident has given him extra motivation to win. "We've got to do that, in my mind, to clear things up from New Hampshire," Bowyer said Friday at Auto Club Speedway. "I think it's important to get that done."
Bowyer's winning car at New Hampshire failed an inspection at NASCAR's R&D Center two days after the race. Richard Childress Racing lost two appeals and Bowyer's 150-point penalty stood. One change was that the six-race suspension for crew chief Shane Wilson and the team's car chief were reduced to four races. They began serving their suspensions this weekend and are not allowed in the garage. Former crew chief Scott Miller, director of competition for Richard Childress Racing, will serve as Bowyer's crew chief during Wilson's absence. Miller said he'll have to adjust to serving as a crew chief again. He served as Jeff Burton's crew chief last year before making the move to his current position. "What I've had to familiarize myself with and think about a lot is just all the little things that happen during the race that become second nature when you do it all the time, but as I've been off of the box for over a year, I've just got to remind myself about things that happen on pit road, just the calls you've got to make," Miller said. Bowyer said he didn't know until Wednesday that Miller would be his crew chief. Bowyer received the phone call while in Truth or Consequences, N.M., for the hunting trip with Elliott Sadler and Bobby Labonte. Bowyer met up with Kasey Kahne and Dale Jarrett later in Las Vegas. "Sometimes it's neat to be able to just go out and get away completely and ... enjoy yourself," said Bowyer, who qualified 13th for Sunday's race. "It was a well-needed week." NASCAR on 'South Park' Some of the NASCAR drivers parodied in the "South Park" episode earlier this week on Comedy Central, said they missed the show. Danica Patrick said she tried to watch it on her computer but had problems getting the video. Jimmie Johnson said he missed it but was aware of what happened. "I've had multiple text messages saying that I was on 'South Park' really from all of my friends' kids," Johnson said. "I've got to check it out. I haven't seen it yet and I can't wait to." Said Jeff Gordon, who did not see the show: "Regardless of what the positive or negative spins are that all these shows put, I think it's still good publicity for the sport." Fast again Jamie McMurray won his series-best fourth pole of the season Friday with a lap of 185.285 mph. Elliott Sadler (184.407 mph) qualified a season-best second. It's only the second time he's qualified in the top 10 this year. Matt Kenseth (184.096) was third and was followed by Juan Pablo Montoya (184.068) and Kasey Kahne (183.964). Points leader Johnson, who has won four of the last six races at Auto Club Speedway, qualified eighth. Denny Hamlin, who is second in the points, qualified 34th. Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified ninth -- only the second time in the last 16 races he's started in the top 10. Pit stops Stewart-Haas Racing has scheduled a news conference Tuesday and is expected to announce Mobil 1 will be a sponsor for the team next season. ... Kevin Harvick's Foundation announced it has endowed a 12-year scholarship for someone from his hometown in Bakersfield, Calif., to attend Cal State-Bakersfield.
