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| Clint Bowyer is 18/1 to win Saturday night at Charlotte |
Wallenda then demonstrated the tight rope walk on a 10- foot practice wire setup at the speedway. As media watched, Bowyer took his turn and carefully duplicated the feat with Wallenda coaching.
Wallenda performed the actual tight rope walk on race day last October as Bowyer walked to driver introductions. Bowyer looked on in amazement and commented that it took a different kind of person to make a living that way.
That night, Bowyer attempted his own high-wire act, as he and crew chief Brian Pattie gambled on fuel mileage and raced to victory lane in the Bank of America 500. Bowyer, in a Pink Lemonade 5-hour ENERGY Toyota benefitting a breast cancer related charity, crossed the finish line just before his car ran out of fuel and he did a walk all his own – from the start-finish line to victory lane.
This weekend Wallenda will perform another tight rope walk and Bowyer will again race a pink paint scheme, this time featuring 5-hour ENERGY’s newest flavor Raspberry and benefitting Living Beyond Breast Cancer. Both men are hoping for similar results.
Bowyer ranks ninth in the Sprint Cup Series standings with 2,128 points. Bowyer trails point leader Matt Kenseth by 55 points with six races remaining in the Sprint Cup season.
BOWYER ON WALLENDA: “That guy is crazy! I watched him perform that walk last year from the top of the grandstand over to victory lane and was in awe. I did it for 10 feet when the wire was about 18 inches off the ground and had a hard time. I made it across, but just barely. Now here this guy is hundreds of feet off the ground walking, above people mind you, about 500 times as far. He told me that it doesn’t matter if you’re 18 inches or 400 feet above the ground – it’s the same walk. I told him he may be right, but it hurts a lot less if you fall from 18 inches.”
ON WINNING THE 2012 BANK OF AMERICA 500: “That was one of the most unexpected, fun and crazy nights of my life. We ran out of gas, walked to victory lane – which was pure chaos – went to the media center and had one of the more memorable press conferences I can remember. Then we went up to the Stadium Club and did a Champaign toast, more media before heading back to our own little party in the driver coach lot. When I woke up in the morning I was still trying to piece it all together. I had a new watch, sports coat and I couldn’t find the trophy! Now I’m just ready to do it all over again this weekend!”
NOTES:
Fan Fest: MWR will hold an open house at its Cornelius, N.C. race shop on Wednesday 9 a.m.— 3 p.m. Fans may tour the shop, get autographs from MWR drivers and Miss Sprint Cup, enjoy sponsor displays, music, free food and drinks. Bowyer is scheduled to sign from 11 a.m.—12 p.m.
Racing for a Cause: From now through December 31, 5-hour ENERGY will donate five cents from the sale of every limited edition, specially marked, bottle of raspberry flavored 5-hour ENERGY to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national nonprofit education and support organization serving women and families affected by breast cancer. The minimum guaranteed donation is $75,000.
- Michael Waltrip Racing
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