Clint Bowyer's Prospects in 2012 with MWR

Bowyer should be very good in 2012 with MWR (Getty)

I think from what we saw out of Martin Truex Jr over the last month of the season that you have to make Clint Bowyer a viable candidate to not only win a race or two in 2012, but actually make the Chase.

Michael Waltrip Racing showed once again that they are heading in the right direction with 1.5-mile track program and if they can give Bowyer a car to compete on his best type of tracks at Richmond, Phoenix and New Hampshire -- not to mention 4 wild card plate races he always runs well at, he’ll have a great shot at finishing within the top-12.

You have to put Bowyer’s driving ability considerably ahead or Truex Jr and Reutimann, so when combining that into the equation of what is sort of an unknown with MWR and a top-flight driver, the possibilities are endless.

Championship? No.

But two wins and a Chase invite, Yes.

I could actually see Bowyer mirror or better 2011’s numbers while he was with RCR, which would mean 4 top-5’s and 16 top-10’s.

My OVER-UNDER win total on him would be 1.5 wins with the UNDER being a -180 favorite. The betting move would be to still take the UNDER here just because two wins is a massive achievement, but I definitely wouldn’t bet UNDER on him with my money.