Kevin Harvick’s New Partner Fills In Kyle Busch’s Number for His Legendary Return to NASCAR Racing

Lately, it seems like the folks in the NASCAR commentary booth are itching to swap their mics for steering wheels. Not too long ago, after Kevin Harvick stepped in for Kyle Larson at the All-Star race in North Wilkesboro for the practice and qualifying rounds, it looks like Clint Bowyer has caught the racing bug too.

Bowyer’s gearing up to take the wheel of a Spire Motorsports Chevy in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this June. But he’s making his comeback on a track that’s seen a lot of his racing highlights. Well, that is surely going to be a trip down memory lane for him!

Clint Bowyer’s hitting the track again, returning to where he first tasted victory

The FOX Sports booth analyst is about to dust off his helmet and gloves, jumping back into the driver’s seat. He will be taking a spin in the #7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado, which has been driven by Kyle Busch and Corey LaJoie before him. The action is all going down at the Nashville Superspeedway during the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event.

But, for Clint Bowyer, it’s been a while since he tore up a NASCAR track, especially a truck race—the last time being back in 2016 at Kansas, where he finished a solid P5 for GMS Racing. He called it quits on his NASCAR Cup Series career after the 2020 season. But now, he’s making a splash with a comeback that’s more than just another race; he’s reuniting with Brian Pattie, his trusted crew chief from the good old days of 2012 to 2015.

Clint Bowyer is pumped about his NASCAR comeback in the #7 truck. He said via Spire Motorsports, “For me, it’s the tie between working with (Brian) Pattie and the good old days. Putting the band back together, so to speak, and having some fun. Nashville is a cool racetrack that has meant a lot to me over the years. Separate from that, it’s about the NCTS. That’s a really fun series. It’s a fun vehicle to drive… You can really hustle a truck. This race should be right in my wheelhouse.”

There’s also a sweet touch of nostalgia to this whole thing. Bowyer first made waves in ARCA way back in 2003, where he turned heads, including that of the legendary Richard Childress, by leading 47 laps and finishing second-place at—you guessed it—Nashville Superspeedway, wheeling out of Kansas City.

Clint Bowyer has won three races in his 14 starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and now he’s probably gunning for win number four. And what better place to score it than in Nashville? After all, it’s where he kicked off his NASCAR Xfinity Series journey in 2004. If he can pull off a victory, it’ll make this track even more memorable for him.

While it seemed like Bowyer’s decision to drive for Spire was a spur-of-the-moment thing, his crew chief, Brian Pattie, clarified that it wasn’t out of the blue. In fact, the team has been wooing Bowyer to come drive for them for quite some time.

Former crew chief of the FOX Analyst can’t wait to team up with him again

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Brian Pattie himself seems to be stoked, saying, “Clint and I had a lot of success winning races and coming close to a Cup Series championship, so it’ll be a lot of fun to work with him again. We’ve been trying to get him in one of our trucks since early last year, so I’m excited to see it finally come together and I’m confident that we can go out and compete for the win.”

Clint Bowyer belongs to that rare group of drivers who’ve clinched wins in the Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series. Plus, he’s got a stellar record at Nashville Racetrack. It seems like Destiny wants to see Nashville and Bowyer team up again to recreate some of that old magic.

Bowyer himself feels that pull. He mentioned, “Nashville means a lot to me. Fate is the only thing that I can attribute to this opportunity coming about. […] I’ve never finished outside the top five at Nashville Superspeedway, and I think I’ve got close to a second-place average finish. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything but what’s important is the opportunity to get back together and work with Brian Pattie. I had so much fun racing with him during the MWR days. We about won a championship together.“

This season, the #7 team has been on fire, sitting pretty in fifth place in the 2024 NCTS owner-point standings. They’ve gotten two wins and racked up five top-five and seven top-10 finishes. LaJoie took the truck to a P20-place finish at Daytona. Not long after, Kyle Busch zoomed to a win in Atlanta, dominating the race and clocking a whopping 112 laps in the lead. Just last week, Connor Mosack started seventh and snagged eighth place at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

What a run for No. 7 so far! And with Clint Bowyer behind the wheel, it’s for the entire NASCAR world to see what awaits. So, how pumped are you to see Bowyer race in NASCAR once again?