Clint Bowyer

Everyone is talking about Florida and Ohio, yet when it comes to the Chase for the Championship, Texas may be the true swing state. Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski have been the clear front runners for the chase from the beginning. But like any true underdog, both Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne have been hanging around ready to pounce at the first sign of weakness from the leaders. "Certainly one little slip up on either one of their parts then Kasey or I can be right there for the taking," said Bowyer.

So not many people are talking about Clint Bowyer as a serious title contender, and to be honest they haven't been all chase. But the Kansas native is one of four drivers still anging around with three races left in the season. “Let's be honest - I don't think at the start of the season that anyone thought that we'd be sitting where we are today," said Bowyer's crew chief Brian Pattie.   "Hopefully if it works out we'll win the championship. If it doesn't we are going to take some positives into next year and try to polish the edges that weren't so polished this year and make it right for next year.” And it is amazing really, this is a brand new team, lead by cast aways from other teams and here they are, mixing it up with the big boys.  "All of us came together for the very first time December 7,  2011," said Pattie.

We all know about Clint Bowyer's involvement in NASCAR. If you didn't before you started reading this blog, you do now. But the Emporia native who is smack dab in the middle of the Chase for the Championship is not the only connection NASCAR has to the Sunflower State. "I can thing of five guys from Kansas that is working in some form (in racing)," said Bryan Kincheloe who is the tire specialist for the Number 13 car driven by Casey Mears in the Sprint Cup Series. "Maybe not on this level but trucks, ARCA, Nationwide.

NASCAR heads to it's "wild card" race in the Chase. But for Kansas native Clint Bowyer, Talladega has been anything but wild. He has won each of the last two fall races in Alabama. And you have to think he is one of the favorites again. "This is a big weekend I think for our sport, for our Chase and everybody involved in it," said Bowyer. "This can be a game changer.  This is one of the tracks that can separate somebody and possibly win you a championship. " With everyone in the chase running so well, one bad race can be their chase.

Michael Waltrip Racing   announced Friday that PEAK Motor Oil will become a primary sponsor on Clint Bowyer's No. 15 Toyota for three races in each of the next three NASCAR Sprint Cup seasons. MWR will also feature PEAK Motor Oil as an associate sponsor on the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS TOYOTA and the No. 55 Aaron's Dream Machine driven by Mark Martin, Brian Vickers and Waltrip.  The familiar PEAK logos will adorn Bowyer's hood at the May Talladega race, the July Daytona race and at Chicagoland in 2013.