Matt Weaver
Clint Bowyer will make his first NASCAR driving appearance since his retirement in 2020 when he races in the Camping World Truck Series race for Spire Motorsports at Nashville Superspeedway on June 28.
He will do so with his longtime Cup Series crew chief Brian Pattie, who now oversees the Spire No. 7 in the Truck Series.
“For me, it’s the tie between working with Pattie and the good old days,” Bowyer said in a team release. “Putting the band back together, so to speak, and having some fun.
“Nashville is a cool racetrack that has meant a lot to me over the years. Separate from that, it’s about the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. That’s a really fun series. It’s a fun vehicle to drive. There’s a lot of drag and you can drive them hard and get away with it. You can really hustle a truck. This race should be right in my wheelhouse.”
Bowyer did make a handful of SRX starts last season so he is not entire race rusty and Spire is looking forward to the kind of run he could take that entry on. The appearance will also provide valuable insight towards his FOX TV duties.
“Having Clint Bowyer drive our No. 7 at Nashville Superspeedway just demonstrates how committed Spire Motorsports is to having a true All-Star lineup in that truck,” Spire President Doug Duchardt added. “Clint is part of an exclusive club of drivers who have won in the Truck Series, [NASCAR] Xfinity Series and Cup Series. When you see his track record at Nashville, it almost makes you shake your head. It’s pretty incredible. He’s a great personality and, as Brian well knows, he’s a lot of fun. We’re grateful to have him and we think he gives us a great shot at winning the race.”
Bowyer made 14 Truck Series starts between 2006 and 2016 with three wins. He also boasts a Cup Series resume that featured 10 wins in 541 starts from 2005 and 2020 racing for Richard Childress Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, HSCott Motorsports and Stewart-Haas Racing.
The No. 7 truck is an all-star entry of sorts that has seen Corey LaJoie, Kyle Busch, Andres Perez de Lara, Sammy Smith, Connor Mosack and Connor Zilisch all make appearances. Busch won twice driving the truck.
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.
