Bowyer running well with new team; fifth at M'ville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- The worries Clint Bowyer had during the offseason -- no owners' points, new crew chief, new sponsor -- have dissipated much like the bad weather did in Martinsville on Sunday, clearing the way for the No. 33 Chevrolet to notch its third top-five finish of the season.

Clint Bowyer is experiencing new adventures outside the race track. The 29-year-old was a motivator for a car push on a recent episode of NBC's "The Biggest Loser."

"Honestly, it was an eye-opener for me. When I saw that show -- I had never seen it before -- and I went there and saw what they've gone through and how it's a life-changing event that changed these guys' lives, probably saved their lives," Bowyer said.

"So to be able to see what they've gone through and to lose over a hundred pounds by the time I saw them, it really made me, when I went home, watch a few episodes to see how they got to where I saw them. It's an incredible show and it was really, truly an inspiration. It was a cool event to go to and I was proud to be there."

-- Raygan Swan

"It was a solid run for us," said Bowyer, who finished fifth in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500. "If we just keep clicking these off we're going to be just fine."

Bowyer may have contended for a lead in the race but struggled with lapped traffic.

"It's always tough," he said. "There's just no room and that's part of it. They [lapped cars] belong out there just like we do. They're just down on their luck."

Bowyer said the time spent testing at Rockingham Speedway prior to racing at Martinsville paid off.

"I think [Rockingham] has done a good job of promoting that it's exactly like this place," Bowyer said of the former North Carolina Speedway.

"I think a little of it will hold true to this place, but it's definitely a little bit different. I think you're rolling the corners a little bit faster and they are concrete in the corners [at Rockingham]. Still, the same principles apply. You get loose getting in under braking, which you do here and forward bite is an issue over there just like it is here. So those are the two things we concentrated on, in particular."

To make way for Casey Mears and an additional fourth car at Richard Childress Racing, Bowyer had to leave his No. 07 team and crew chief Gil Martin, who led the Kansas native to two victories, 45 top-10 finishes and back-to-back appearances in the Chase.

Slightly unsettled by the decision, Bowyer faced the 2009 season with a brand new team and no testing sessions in light of NASCAR's ban. But instead of fretting, Bowyer went out of his way to adapt and familiarize himself with the new setup during the offseason.

Heading to Texas this week, Bowyer sits second in the Sprint Cup driver standings, trailing leader Jeff Gordon by 89 points.