| Clint Bowyer, the 26 year old savvy racer from | | | | championships throughout the years. He broke into |
| Emporia, Kansas, started racing in motocross at the | | | | the street stocks scene in 1996 at age 17 during the |
| young age of five. He was a good on two wheels | | | | Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kansas. He counts |
| but soon discovered that he was even better on | | | | that as one of his most memorable races because an |
| four wheels after his grandfather brought him to a | | | | angry competitor had chased a flagman into a |
| dirt track in Humboldt, Kansas. His father, Chris | | | | bathroom for 45 minutes and threatened to crush |
| Bowyer, wasn't very happy with his second son's | | | | the winner, only to then realize that the winner was |
| decision at first because the family had already | | | | 17 years old. Dick Ross, who was tuning up Bowyer's |
| invested a lot of time and money into motorcycles | | | | engine that night, realized that Bowyer was made |
| and the young Clint Bowyer had shown a lot of | | | | out of special material when Bowyer managed to |
| potential. His older brother, Andy Bowyer, was racing | | | | guide home a 50,000-pound fire truck, a 6-foot |
| motocross nationally. Eventually, Chris Bowyer | | | | towing chain during a 10 mile stretch of two lane |
| supported his young son because of his enthusiasm. | | | | highway in central Kansas without getting a scratch |
| His mother lays claim that they weren't in it to make | | | | on the vehicle. |
| him a NASCAR star but rather they did it because | | | | 4 years later, Bowyer went back to the Thunderhill |
| they enjoyed it as a family. After awhile, the whole | | | | Speedway and won the 2000 Modified championship |
| family turned to four wheels and Chris even set up a | | | | and finished second in the Modified points at Lakeside |
| shop in his storage lot near his towing company in | | | | Speedway. He continued to get 18 more wins, 32 top |
| Emporia. Even until this day, his parents and their dog | | | | fives in 40 starts en route to the 2001 Modified |
| follow the Cup circuit in a motor home to show their | | | | Championships at Lakeside Speedway and Heartland |
| support to Bowyer and it has paid off. | | | | Park. After that he was made the 2002 NASCAR |
| Because Bowyer's father had many drivers for | | | | Weekly Racing Series Midwest Champion after |
| customers, he would hang around race shops to try | | | | another Modified Championship at Lakeside |
| and pick their brains. By the time he was 15, he was | | | | Speedway and a Late Model crown at 1-70 |
| driving short-bed Chevy pickup that he had put | | | | Speedway in Odessa. Bowyer has gone on to win a |
| together with the spare parts from his father's | | | | great many more championships when he began |
| storage lot. He was also working at a Goodyear shop | | | | running for the NASCAR Busch Series in 2004. |
| in middle school to pick up the tools of the trade. | | | | His parents are still in awe at how much their son has |
| From there, he was taught what made a person | | | | achieved and they are still amazed when fans |
| successful with their cars. | | | | congratulate them. Although Bowyer now resides in |
| Bowyer is a fierce competitor and the markings of a | | | | North Carolina, he still enjoys going back home where |
| winner was clear from the get go. He won and liked | | | | people still remember him as Clint and not the |
| it. When he's on the race track, he's in it to win the | | | | NASCAR star. And like any Kansas native, he believes |
| trophy. Since racing at the age of five, Bowyer has | | | | that the best barbecues can't beat Kansas City's |
| gone on to achieve over 200 wins and countless | | | | barbecue. |