Mike Bugarewicz Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Pending who you ask among the NASCAR Cup Series playoff contenders, they’ll likely say Aric Almirola is the true dark horse contender for this year’s 10-race championship odyssey. Who can blame them as Almirola has had a career year with a career-high five top-fives and 14 top-10s in just the regular season alone. Due to him being more consistency than last season, it was good enough for both Stewart-Haas Racing and long time sponsor Smithfield re-upping their deals for next season on Tuesday. Almirola said thatRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season for the full-time drivers in the series leading into February’s running of the Daytona 500. Age: 32 Years in Cup: 13th overall, ninth full time season Career Wins: Two After a career year in 2018, Aric Almirola and Stewart-Haas Racing regressed a bit last season. Despite Almirola and two of his teammates making it into the Playoffs, things didn’t turn out as they would have hoped. The Tampa, Florida native was able to score threeRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief The next round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is set for this weekend with the Digital Ally 400 at Kansas Speedway, the home track of Clint Bowyer. However, past success has been anything but a pleasant homecoming for the driver of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang. Teammate Kevin Harvick won last year’s edition of the spring classic, which helps provide some optimism, along with a new 1.5-mile package, for 2019’s return to the Sunflower State. Our friends from Mobil 1 The Grid bringRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service BROOKLYN, Mich. – Clint Bowyer gambled. Then he made sure he cashed the winning ticket with a determined charge on two new tires as rain threatened Michigan International Speedway. Bowyer got the lead under caution at the end of Stage 2 of Sunday’s Firekeepers Casino 400 when crew chief Mike Bugarewicz opted for two tires on the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Bowyer had to do the rest, holding off teammate Kevin Harvick after a restart on Lap 126, barely preventing Harvick, who had freshRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor It’s penalty day again in the world of NASCAR and Wednesday was a doozy, with the sanctioning body handing down a wide range of penalties to teams across all three national series. The first teams to be hit by the NASCAR penalty hammer were those of Clint Bowyer, Daniel Suarez, and Austin Dillon. Bowyer and Suarez, who finished second and third in Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism, were found to have violated rules surrounding the rear window of their respective cars. Bowyer’s car didRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season for the top-30 drivers in the series leading into next month’s 60th running of the Daytona 500. Age: 38 Years in Cup: 13 Career Wins: Eight Clint Bowyer went through a career rejuvenation in 2017 with his move to Stewart-Haas Racing and the No. 14 car vacated by Tony Stewart. After suffering through his worst season ever the year before, Bowyer was back to being his old self and back upRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor You wouldn’t think a driver that grew up on the dirt tracks of Kansas would be one of the best road course racers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but over the years, Clint Bowyer has found success making left and right turns, especially at Sonoma Raceway, site of this weekend’s Toyota/Save Mart 350. In a season where he has had some hiccups with his new ride at Stewart-Haas Racing, a trip out west to California wine country could be just what the doctorRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Writer With Brian Vickers locked into the No. 14 Chevrolet in relief of Tony Stewart for Daytona, the attention has focused on which driver will be behind the wheel for Stewart-Haas Racing next weekend at Atlanta and beyond. When the news that Stewart had been injured broke, one of the names that jumped to the top of the list was Ty Dillon, who will be driving in the NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time for Richard Childress Racing and in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on a part-time basisRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service To say 2016 will be a year of enormous change in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing is to understate the issue. NASCAR is rolling out a new competition package in its foremost division, one that features lower downforce. The aim is to make the Sprint Cup cars more difficult to drive, which in turn will put more control in the hands of the drivers. You’ll see dramatic changes on the track. Chase Elliott, a 20-year-old rookie, succeeds icon Jeff Gordon behind the wheel ofRead More