Series Champions' Week preview

2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champions' Week Preview

* Driver Champion Bowyer; Owner Champion JGR To Be Honored In Orlando Saturday
* Bowyer Visits Columbus Tuesday; Media Day In Orlando Friday

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 18, 2008) -- In its first season as title sponsor of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Nationwide Insurance has been rewarded with a "two-for-one."

Saturday night on the stage of the Tuscan Ballroom at the Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Fla., Clint Bowyer officially will be crowned the 2008 series driver champion, while Joe Gibbs Racing and the No. 20 Toyota team also will be honored as series owner champion.

For the second consecutive year and the third time in NASCAR Nationwide Series history, the titles will be shared. Richard Childress Racing won the owner championship last year while Carl Edwards was the driver champion. In 2003, RCR claimed the owner crown; Brian Vickers won the driver title.

Bowyer's first week as driver champion will be a busy one. Some of the key highlights include:

Tuesday -- Bowyer travels to Columbus, Ohio, home of Nationwide Insurance headquarters. There, he will take part in a multitude of activities including a visit to Nationwide Children's Hospital, a meeting with company executives and a question and answer/autograph session with company associates.

He'll also meet with Columbus-area media before attending the Columbus Blue Jackets -- Edmonton Oilers hockey game at Nationwide Arena. In addition to taking in the game, he'll participate in an on-ice activity during the first intermission.

Thursday -- Bowyer, his No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet crew and the owner champion No. 20 Toyota team will be guests of Nationwide Insurance for a congratulatory dinner in Orlando.

Friday -- Bowyer, JGR vice president, NASCAR Nationwide Series operations Steve deSouza, Joey Logano, one of the four drivers of the No. 20, the Top 10 drivers and the Raybestos Rookie of the Year will meet with outlets from national, regional, state and local print and broadcast media at the ESPN Club on Disney's BoardWalk in Orlando. The drivers will be featured across the network's various programming platforms including SportsCenter, ESPNews, ESPN First Take, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com.

Afterwards, the drivers will participate in a free, one-hour autograph session for fans outside the ESPN Club (Fans can pick up a limited number of participant wristbands outside the ESPN Club on Friday). Bowyer will be featured on a satellite media tour broadcast from the ESPN Club that afternoon before being honored along with members of his team and the owner champion team at a private dinner hosted by NASCAR that evening.

Saturday -- Bowyer, the No. 2 team and the No. 20 team will participate in the traditional Champion's Photo Shoot at the Portofino Bay Hotel. Then both champion teams will join the Top 10 drivers, rookie of the year and other guests at the main event, the NASCAR Nationwide Series Awards Banquet. The ceremony begins at 7:30 p.m. and culminates as Bowyer and JGR officially are coroneted as the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver and owner champion.

2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Season Quick Facts

2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Champion: Clint Bowyer
2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner Champion: Joe Gibbs Racing / No. 20 Toyota

Final NASCAR Nationwide Series Top 10: 1. Clint Bowyer, 5,132; 2. Carl Edwards, 5,111; 3. Brad Keselowski, 4,794; 4. David Ragan, 4,525; 5. Mike Bliss, 4,518; 6. Kyle Busch, 4,461; 7. David Reutimann, 4,388; 8. Mike Wallace, 4,128; 9. Jason Leffler, 4,086; 10. Marcos Ambrose, 3,991. Raybestos Rookie of the Year: Landon Cassill

-credit: nascar