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Bowyer "bummed" to miss the playoffs, but "a win is what I'm after"

Clint Bowyer ran strong at Richmond Raceway, but a combination of mistakes and bad luck precluded him from winning his way into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup playoffs.

Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Brett Moist / Motorsport Images

Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotan
Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

He currently sits 17th in the championship standings, the first driver on the outside of the playoffs.

"Yeah, I was bummed out for sure, there's no question about it," he told Motorsport.com "It's been one of those years. Had a lot of good things happen this year, just made some mistakes. Some crazy things happened that put us in this situation. Knocked on the door several times of getting that breakthrough win, but it just hasn't happened yet. To be honest with you, the goal hasn't changed. Still need to win our first race and have ten races to do so."

However, there is a bright side to being one of the 'other guys' in the final ten races. He and the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team are in a position where they can take more risks. 

"For the last two months, we've been on that boarder line bubble scenario where you're always looking over your shoulder, scared to take a chance because you don't want to take that chance and it be the reason you get knocked out of the playoffs," he explained. "Now it's just throw it all out there, go back racing and if there's an opportunity to take advantage of a situation, go for it. 

"A win is what I'm after."

And if he were to break through and end his winless streak in the final ten races, he would be playing the role of spoiler. He's done it once before, winning the fall Talladega race in 2011. There's a certain amount of pride one can get from taking it to the playoff drivers and showing the world that you belong in that discussion.

"It's just extra fuel for the fire," said Bowyer. "When you're outside looking in, you want to show them up. You want to show everybody that you are capable and should have been in (the playoffs). The only way you can do that is go win. When we were able to do it back in 2011, it meant a lot to me and it would mean a lot to me if I could go and do it again this year."

But in order to win, the No. 14 team has to minimize mistakes but if they can put it all together, Bowyer believes they are "certainly capable of winning." He's finished second three times this year, so don't overlook him in the races to come.

One thing Bowyer and SHR do not lack are partners. Just this past week, it was announced that Smithfield Foods would join the company in 2018. Liberty Mutual Insurance is one of those aforementioned partners and Bowyer wanted to highlight their free driving app known as Highway Hero, something he believes race fans would find both useful and entertaining.

"I'm lucky enough to be part of is promoting the Liberty Mutual Insurance Highway Hero app. It's about keeping people safe out there on the roads. My father owned a towing service. I've seen literally every mistake someone could make behind the wheel. I've been able to learn from those mistakes over the years and it just keeps getting worse. It's scary the amount of accidents that people are involved in with their phones. It's out of control. 

"This app literally tracks and scores your performance as you drive. It's not something you have to consciously get in and turn on. It runs automatically in the background of your phone as you're driving. It scores things like acceleration, braking, cornering, phone usage -- all these things that keep not only you, but everybody out there safe. It's spot on, it's fun ..... As a father with two kids, this app is the perfect scenario for anyone that puts their kids out on the road and who are concerned about their well-being and how they're driving. You just don't know. You can't follow them or be in that backseat, but with this app, you can do just that."

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