Clint Bowyer will not drive for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2016
Michael Waltrip Racing and Clint Bowyer are parting ways at the end of the 2015 season. The team will also not field a full-time car in 2016.
MWR made the announcement Wednesday morning. The team is in a state of flux after news emerged earlier this summer that co-owner Rob Kauffman had agreed to purchase a stake of Chip Ganassi Racing.
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Bowyer has been mentioned as a possibility to join Kauffman at Ganassi Racing if the team decides to expand to a third team to join with Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson. According to a Sports Business Journal report of Kauffman’s move to buy part of Ganassi, Bowyer and sponsor 5-Hour Energy would be a package deal. However, when reading Kauffman’s statement (included below) it can seem like he and Bowyer will not be working together next season.
The news that MWR wouldn’t field a full-time team in 2016 means the No. 55 will also be drastically different if it exists at all. The car, sponsored by Aaron’s, is currently driven by David Ragan after Brian Vickers was sidelined with blood clots earlier this season.
Aaron’s had said it was evaluating its options when it came to continuing its relationship with MWR, which is up for renewal at the end of the year. If Aaron’s decides to stay in NASCAR (and not with MWR in a part-time capacity), its sponsorship will be coveted throughout the garage.
“MWR will race hard and compete for the remainder of the 2015 season,” Kauffman said. “This decision was made after weighing several different options and scenarios.
“I felt it was important to make an announcement as soon as we had clarity, so that is what we are doing today. I want to thank all of our staff, partners, sponsors and fans for all their effort and support over the years.
“Clint Bowyer has done a lot for MWR since joining us in 2012 and we appreciate the energy and effort he has given the organization. After many discussions, Clint and I agreed we would go our separate ways at the end of the season and I wish him well in whatever direction he pursues.”
Bowyer finished second in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series standings to Brad Keselowski. But the downfall of MWR started in 2013, when Bowyer intentionally spun at Richmond to keep then-teammate Martin Truex Jr. in the Chase while Vickers lagged at the back of the pack. While most collapses are the combination of multiple events, in MWR’s case, it’s increasingly clear that the spin at Richmond blew up the foundation of the team, leaving a top-heavy building with no base.
Truex and Bowyer were both briefly in the Chase after the spin. But NASCAR penalized Truex’s team, effectively kicking the No. 55 out of the Chase. NAPA, which sponsored Truex at the time, elected to leave the team after the manipulation scandal. Without the funding, MWR was forced to scale back to two full-time teams.
Since then, the team’s performance hasn’t been the same. Instead of competing for race wins, the team has been resigned to competing just to sneak in to the Chase. Bowyer currently occupies the last spot in the Chase standings.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
