MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — Clint Bowyer snapped a 190-race losing streak dating to 2012 with a dominating performance Monday at Martinsville Speedway.
The victory by Bowyer continued the strong start to the NASCAR season for Stewart-Haas Racing, which has won four of the first six races to start the year.
Bowyer’s win was his first driving for SHR, the team he joined as Tony Stewart’s replacement last year. The move to SHR was supposed to turn Bowyer’s fortunes around, but his struggles continued through his first year in the No. 14 Ford.
He finally figured it out on the short track in Virginia and won for the first time since his victory at Charlotte in October 2012.
Bowyer had led just 145 combined laps the last four years and bettered that Monday with 215 laps led and his first career Martinsville victory.
Bowyer began his celebratory burnout before he completed a cool-down lap, and then climbed on the hood of his cars with his arms raised in victory. He jumped into the arms of his SHR crew, and then was met by his 3-year-old son, Cash, who had never before seen his father win a Cup race.
Cash Bowyer exchanged high-fives with the SHR crew then sat on top of the winning car.
Bowyer is the first driver to notch victories driving a Chevrolet, Toyota and Ford.
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