Bowyer comes close to victory: “Damn it

He is immensely enjoying the improved performances this season after taking over the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, but at the same time he’s growing impatient with his inability to break into Victory Lane.

Despite a mid-race pit road speeding penalty and having to fight his way back from the rear of the field, Bowyer was able to race his way up to second late in Monday’s rain-delayed Food City 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

He would advance no further as Jimmie Johnson maintained his advantage over the final 10 laps to earn his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win of the season.

“You got to put it in perspective. We’ve come a long way,” Bowyer said on pit road after expressing frustration over not having a chance to run down Johnson for the win. “The guys on this team have worked so hard – it’s a fun group.

“Hell yeah, you want to be up there and win it, but the day we had – I got a speeding penalty on pit road and had to bounce back. The guys kept working on the car and made it better and better.

“Damn it – I about had one!”

Before leaving for the media center, Bowyer was stopped on pit road by his SHR teammate Kevin Harvick and team co-owner Tony Stewart, who both offered their congratulations.

Stewart told Bowyer to embrace “the momentum” from his recent strong runs.

“They are one of the most consistent teams out there right now,” Stewart said. “They haven’t won one yet but they consistently just keep gaining momentum. That’s a big deal in this sport.

“If you can keep it going, it’s huge. That value of it is huge.”

Bowyer has now finished seventh or higher in three of his last four races and has already amassed four top-10 and two top-five finishes this season – the most for him in either category since the 2015 season.

His last Cup series victory came in the 2012 season.

“You’ve got to have momentum on a race team; for a driver; in life,” Bowyer said. “This racing thing is all about confidence and that momentum breeds that confidence.”