NASCAR West series champion Jason Bowles to compete in Nationwide race at Phoenix
NASCAR Camping World West Series champion Jason Bowles is scheduled to be honored at the Night of Champions Touring Awards Gala in Concord, N.C., this Saturday, but he won’t be there.
Instead, Bowles will be in Avondale, Ariz., driving Specialty Racing’s NASCAR Nationwide Series No. 61 Ford in Saturday’s Able Body Labor 200 at Phoenix International Raceway.
“That’s a bit of a disappointment,” Bowles said of missing the banquet, but adding, “I’d much rather go racing than go to the banquet. NASCAR, luckily, and all the guys from the West Series are behind me with my decision. That made it a little bit easier.”
Bowles has been participating in the activities leading up to Saturday’s banquet, but he’ll head to Phoenix for Friday’s practice. Bowles is from Ontario, Calif., but he recently moved to North Carolina to be closer to the hub of NASCAR.
Bowles landed the ride with Specialty after an introduction to team co-owner Doug Taylor from Robbie Benton, the owner of RAB Racing. Bowles works for the sunglasses company Oakley, and he knew Benton through his work.
When first talking with Taylor, Saturday’s banquet came up in the conversation. But not for long.
“I told them I had a banquet to go to,” Bowles said, “but I knew what my decision was going to be already.
Bowles won three races en route to the West Series championship this year, driving for Southern California Ford dealer Bob Bruncati. One of those wins came at the 1-mile Phoenix track in April.
Bowles isn’t approved to drive at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend, so the ride with Specialty is for Phoenix only – for now.
“We’ll evaluate Jason on the mile, as will NASCAR, I’m sure, and then if he can go on, we’ll certainly talk about Homestead,” Taylor said. “But we’ve got to get through Phoenix.”
Specialty intends to race full time in 2010, and Bowles could be part of those plans.
“We’re certainly looking for the right combination of driver and sponsor,” Taylor said. “So far, Jason seems like a great kid for our team.”
Even if he can’t keep his awards ceremony obligations.
