Bowyer lands ride with HScott before replacing Tony Stewart

Just two days after revealing his plans for 2017 and beyond, NASCAR veteran Clint Bowyer announced on Friday at Dover global Speedway that he will drive for HScott Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series in 2016. Tony Stewart officially announced his retirement from NASCAR Sprint Cup competition on Wednesday. Ward was killed in August of 2014 during a sprint vehicle race.

“When I started this team two years ago, I did so with the goal of organically building an organization that would one day contend for championships in the Sprint Cup Series”, he said.

With Stewart vacating the driver’s seat of the No. 14 Chevrolet SS and Boyer in need of a job, since his current race team will be shutting down at season’s end, it only made since that Bowyer take over the No. 14 Chevy, which Stewart co-owns. His passion for NASCAR racing has also waned in the last several seasons, in part because of an evolving rules package that he has struggled with.

But Bowyer was at the center of “Spingate”, when he allegedly spun on objective during the cutoff race for the 2013 Chase at Richmond in an effort to help his MWR teammate Martin Truex’s chances.

Stewart told AP in June that his confidence was shot and he was struggling to find any enjoyment in being in the race vehicle.

Not much has worked for Stewart this season. He is now 25th in the points standings and failed to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship for the third consecutive year. It’s not that Bowyer has anything against Stewart, actually, it’s quite the opposite; Boyer will now be calling Stewart his boss starting in 2017.

Stewart has 48 Cup victories and is a lock for NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.

But the last two seasons have been filled with heartache and hardship on and off the track for Stewart. “We’re going to build a great program here”.

“This is a big deal for me – my life, my career – and I didn’t want to mess it up. There’s still an opportunity to get on probation, just like always”. Although he’s qualified for the Chase in three of the last four years, Bowyer hasn’t been to Victory Lane since Charlotte in the fall of 2012.

“5-hour is very excited about this because we get to keep our brand ambassador, who we have really enjoyed the relationship with over the years”, Megular said.

Bowyer now drives for Michael Waltrip Racing, but that team is folding up shop at the end of this season. I appreciate everything he’s done for me and the sport of auto racing. “To have this together and tie my name to HScott Motorsports is something I’m looking forward to”.