Is Clint Bowyer underachieving?

JJ_14

JJ_14

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Clint Bowyer has one of the top rides in nascar. Yet, he only has two wins since joining SHR in 2017. At 40 years old, does he deserve to have one of the top rides in the sport?

Aric could do better but at least he brings sponsorship. Same thing can be said about Bowyer but to a lesser extent I believe?

I'd replace Bowyer with Austin Cindric or Bubba Wallace next year. I think Bowyer should have more than 2 wins in that car.
 
It's hard to say. He has 10 career wins, a runner-up points finish and has generally been a steady presence in cup since he arrived 15 years ago. There's a lot of really good drivers that didn't win a lot. IMO, he's in the Ken Schrader/Geoff Bodine type territory. Like those two, Bowyer's desire to win the battle while losing sight of the war has cost him at times.
 
He needs to go because he doesn't win. It's already looking like it's going to be a rough year for SHR and maybe his best shots to get it done are already behind him.
 
I know its early but so far they're going backwards not forwards. Harvick said after the race his car wasn't even 10th but he put it there. Compare that to how Penske or, even better, HMS are running. Alex Bowman just about had a win in Vegas too.
 
I’m not sure it’s all that great of a ride anymore. Clint has as many wins in the 14 in his 3+ seasons driving it as Tony had in his last four seasons in it.
 
I have always had trouble seeing Bowyer as elite talent. Good, yes, and he's had a couple of pretty good seasons, but to me he seems to inconsistent and mistake prone.
 
I like Bowyer.. quite a lot.. he's my #2 driver (3rd to Carl but..) however... I doubt hell ever be a championship caliber driver. SHR could definitely do better. I still hope they keep him though.
 
Larsonfan1995 said:
Nobody has set the world on fire at SHR other than Harvick since 2011. Most other drivers are 10-15th place cars that squeak out a win or so a year. I think Bowyer is doing how everyone expected him to do.
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I agree, the 4 team makes shr look better than they are. Kurt did little to impress in those cars either and most here consider him an elite talent.
 
SHR will have a poor showing this year. No sense dumping a ton of money into cars this year that will expire at end of season. I am hoping the #41 at least gets a chance to race. A one year contract for Bowyer says it all.
"One and Done"
 
SHR other then Harvick has been overrated since 2014. Which is exactly why I don’t get the Larson to SHR hype. Not even sure it’s that big a step up unless he gets Childers
 
DanicaFreak said:
This thread is funny. When Patrick was driving for SHR everyone said how elite their gear was. Now its crap. hmmmmm
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Clint has more wins in their cars than Danica had Top 5s... which was zero.
 
Did Clint ever really achieve anything?
 
I'd say that he is. I believe more was expected of him when he got signed on back in 2017. As it stands right now, the years he's driven for the team out-number the wins he has earned for them. That's not an enviable stat. He's been running just at the edge of the sixteen playoff positions or outside of them in his tenure.

I'd say that Aric Almirola, by the same measure, has the rest of this year to prove himself as well. He's on year three of "being the guy that replaced Danica", and outside of a last gasp Talladega victory in his first year, he hasn't done much of anything to really cement his place at the team. His fall-off from the first seven races in 2019 was staggering.
 
Truex_rox said:
I'd say that he is. I believe more was expected of him when he got signed on back in 2017. As it stands right now, the years he's driven for the team out-number the wins he has earned for them. That's not an enviable stat. He's been running just at the edge of the sixteen playoff positions or outside of them in his tenure.

I'd say that Aric Almirola, by the same measure, has the rest of this year to prove himself as well. He's on year three of "being the guy that replaced Danica", and outside of a last gasp Talladega victory in his first year, he hasn't done much of anything to really cement his place at the team. His fall-off from the first seven races in 2019 was staggering.
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I haven't compared Clint's record to Kurt's, Kurt's is better I would guess, but not knowing the deals with salary and sponsors it's impossible to see the bottom line. Same for Almirola, who after three races is in the top 10 in the standings AND seems to have strong sponsorship as does Clint. Clint is in a contract year, so I'm sure he will be examined with a microscope and found failing by the RF experts. That more often than not revitalizes a drivers career at this point. :D See Hamlin and Newman.
 
Team Penske said:
I agree. Tony's buddy sitting at the top is the problem. His time with Joey showed this.
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Exactly. Anyone think Kurt Busch would have been at SHR as long as he was putting up Bowyer results?
 
It isn't all about track results. A squirrely sponsor, and bad choices in his private life play a role. Freakin Haas is a billionaire, Tony isn't hurting. Most people forget that. They can pretty much do whatever they want and surround themselves with whoever.
 
Bowyer has always been slightly above average.

But it's funny like @DanicaFreak said about how people say SHR was elite with Danica, also said the same thing with Suarez.
 
StandOnIt said:
I haven't compared Clint's record to Kurt's, Kurt's is better I would guess, but not knowing the deals with salary and sponsors it's impossible to see the bottom line. Same for Almirola, who after three races is in the top 10 in the standings AND seems to have strong sponsorship as does Clint. Clint is in a contract year, so I'm sure he will be examined with a microscope and found failing by the RF experts. That more often than not revitalizes a drivers career at this point. :D See Hamlin and Newman.
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Kurt was better, but I see where you are coming from pertaining to their salaries and sponsors. Sponsorship is a lot of the reason why Clint and Aric are still on board, and while I can see Aric possibly getting another year - dependent on his performance this year - I would think Clint is in a 'go hard or go home' type of situation. He's been in the game long enough to hone his skills and take the fight to other drivers that are of playoff caliber.
 
I posted this the last time this came up. Here are Kurt Busch's numbers from 2017 and 2018 with SHR, strong years for the team overall:

2 wins, 12 top 5s, 37 top 10s, 660 laps led, 14.3 average finish

Clint Bowyer during the same seasons with SHR:

2 wins, 15 top 5s, 29 top 10s, 512 laps led, 14.6 average finish

Pretty similar. 2019 was viewed internally and externally as a down year for SHR. Nobody who has driven for SHR since the owner retired has been the equal of Kevin Harvick, or even close.

As @StandOnIt pointed out, 2020 is a contract year for Bowyer and will be crucial to determining his future. The raw skills are there to produce 1-2 wins and a run into the second or third round of the playoffs. Whether the team chemistry is will be the key.
 
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