No. 3 - Clint Bowyer

No matter where he finishes Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Clint Bowyer has to consider this year's Chase a successful one.
He hung tough with the best team in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and will in all likelihood finish third to Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. That's nothing to be ashamed of, especially this year.
Johnson and Gordon have combined to win 16 of 36 races this year. Add the wins by Kyle Busch and Casey Mears, and the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers won half of the Cup races this year.
That didn't leave many opportunities for other drivers and teams.
Bowyer is coming off an 11th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway. Like most drivers, he fought braking problems throughout the race and struggled with the Car of Tomorrow.
"Just frustrating, we fought brake problems all day and just weren't really a factor," said Bowyer, driver of the No. 07 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, after the race at Phoenix. "Our goal for Homestead is to finish. It would be good to get another win, but we just have to finish the year strong and not give up anything from behind and we will be fine."