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CHAMPIONS PROFILE: Bowles Finds Success In Move To NASCAR
Gradual improvement leads to NCWS West titleFive years ago, it appeared Jason Bowles might be destined for a racing career in the open wheel ranks. But then his career path took a left turn, so to speak, as he switched to racing stock cars in NASCAR. That move met with success, culminating this year with his championship in the NASCAR Camping World Series West.
Winning the 2009 title capped a three-year progression in the series for the soft-spoken 26-year-old competitor from Ontario, Calif., who supplements his racing effort by working as a sales representative for a popular eyewear and sports apparel company.
Driving the Sunrise Ford-sponsored Ford for car owner Bob Bruncati, Bowles initially made his mark in the series by winning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in his debut season in 2007, while finishing third in the overall championship standings. With championship crew chief Bill Sedgwick joining the team in 2008, Bowles became a championship contender and finished second in the standings.
Bowles continued to build on his experience this season with a championship performance – registering three wins, 10 top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 13 races. He also won three Coors Light Pole Awards. In addition, Bowles led at least one lap in 10 of those races, gaining a 60-point boost to his point total for the year. He clinched the championship in the final race of the season by a 123-point margin.
“Winning the championship for me is a huge accomplishment,” Bowles said. “I have only been racing stock cars for four years and to win at this level is great. It also means a lot to me to win this for Bob as a thank you for the opportunity he has given me. I didn’t have much experience and he took a chance and gave me this opportunity. Now I just need to use the momentum to keep furthering my career.”
BEHIND THE SCENES OF A CHAMPIONSHIP
CHAMPION CAR OWNER PROFILE: Bob Bruncati
CHAMPION CREW CHIEF PROFILE: Bill Sedgwick
Bowles began his drive for the 2009 championship with a ninth-place finish in the season opener at Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle, Texas in March. Although he came away with a top-10 finish, the results were not as good as he expected, due to contact from another car late in the race that left him a lap down.
He bounced back in the next event at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., in April – winning the Coors Light Pole and finishing second. Bowles went on to score one of the biggest wins of his career when the series visited Phoenix International Raceway on April 16. He extended his string of top-10 finishes later that month with a seventh-place finish at Madera (Calif.) Speedway, in an event in which he won his second Coors Light Pole Award of the year.
He kept his momentum rolling in the month of May as teams from coast to coast traveled to Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa for the annual NASCAR Camping World Series East-West combination race. Bowles finished ninth overall, fourth among the NASCAR Camping World Series West drivers, and closed to within 16 points of Eric Holmes in the championship chase.
As the series headed back to the West Coast in June, Bowles recorded the first of five straight top-five finishes with a runner-up run at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Ore.
A wild finish later that month at Infineon Raceway, left him in Victory Lane as the repeat winner in the annual NASCAR Camping World Series West race at the Sonoma, Calif., road course. Bowles inherited the win after his teammate, Patrick Long, was penalized for a last-lap incident with race leader Joey Logano.
A win before a Fourth of July capacity crowd on his home track at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) catapulted Bowles into the lead in the championship standings. It marked his third consecutive series win at the state-of-the-art half-mile facility.
Bowles extended his lead in the points as the series visited to back-to-back road course events. He recovered from an incident while leading the race at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway, to finish fifth. He followed that up with a third-place finish at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, in August – extending his lead in the standings to 56 points.
A flat tire late in the race at Colorado National Speedway north of Denver, led to a 13th-place finish for Bowles – his only finish out of the top 10 all season. It also trimmed his point lead to just 37 markers as the series headed into its final two events.
He quickly got his championship effort back on track as the series returned to Iowa Speedway in September. A runner-up finish to a dominant David Mayhew, along with bonus points for leading a lap, allowed Bowles to come away with a 78-point lead in the standings.
Knowing a finish of 16th or better in the season finale at All American Speedway would give him the title, he displayed plenty of care from the drop of the green flag. His cautious approach paid off early when the other championship contender Eric Holmes encountered brake problems and spun with another car just ahead of him going into Turn 1. Bowles slowed quickly and veered around both cars. Although he avoided damage, the incident put him back in the field and left him to battle traffic. A charge to the front late in the event led to a fourth-place finish and a 123-point margin in the final championship standings.
A LOOK BACK
Bowles Caps Title Run At Roseville
Bowles Scores Third Consecutive Win At Toyota Speedway
Bowles Wins Wild One
Bowles Saves Best For Last
In three seasons in the series, Bowles has accumulated nine wins, nine poles, 25 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes in 39 races. Five of his victories came on ovals, while four were on road courses.
Bowles started his racing career competing in go-karts in 1996. During the next 10 years, he garnered numerous karting titles and awards. After winning regional and state championships, he went on to attract national attention. Bowles was selected to test for Team Rahal and also tested for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in an Infiniti Pro Series car.
His racing career changed course in 2006, when he opted to compete in the Late Model class at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.). After finishing in the top-10 of the final standings, he was named to drive the Bruncati entry in the NASCAR Camping World Series West.
