Bowyer looking for new strategy at Talladega

Clint Bowyer has never had much luck at Talladega Superspeedway, but he has learned a lot about what not to do.

The Richard Childress Racing driver finished 40th and 35th last year in the two Cup races on the 2.66-mile Alabama oval, the longest and fastest track in stock-car racing.

“It's funny because I've always run really well at Daytona, and, for some reason, I seem to crash at Talladega,” Bowyer said. “It seems like I always run into bad luck when we go down there.”

There's always danger at Talladega, where nearly the entire field often runs in huge packs, two- and three-wide at speeds around 200 mph for the entire race.

“In the spring race last year, I knew they were going to wreck, and I elected to fall back and hang out in the back. Me and (teammate) Kevin (Harvick) both did the same thing. There were about three cars behind us when they started wrecking up front. We got checked up, and, I'll be darned if those three cars didn't run us over.”

Now, Bowyer's ready to try a different approach.

“That was proof enough for me that dropping to the back and waiting for them to wreck doesn't work,” he said. “You have to go out there, try and lead laps and win the race.”

BIG WINNER: If Honda's motorsports program played favorites, Tony Kanaan certainly would be one of them.

Entering last Sunday's race in Japan, the Brazilian IndyCar star already had given the Japanese automotive company its initial series victory (2003 at Phoenix), its first pole (2003 at Homestead), its first series title (2004) and its first Indianapolis 500 pole (2005).

Before the race at Honda's Twin Ring Motegi circuit, Kanaan toured the Honda Collection Hall, where many of his feats were commemorated.

As Kanaan strolled through eclectic displays of racing history interspersed with lawn mowers, he was drawn to one of his Andretti Green Racing cars, directly across from a Formula One car driven by Ayrton Senna, his idol.

“I sat there for a little bit, and I kept looking at it,” Kanaan said. “I looked (at) his car, I looked (at) my car. I'm like, Yeah.”'

Maybe Kanaan was inspired as he went on to win the Indy Japan 300.

MEMORIAL WIN: When Jack Wyatt arrived at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina last Friday, the sides of his unsponsored Nitro Funny Car were blank.

But Wyatt wanted to do something to remember those killed at Virginia Tech, so he applied two large maroon-and-orange “VT” decals to his car.

“It was such a tragedy, such a touching story,” Wyatt said. “I can't believe that someone would really do that. ... If that helps someone just a little bit, even one person, then that was the reason why I did it. I know it helped me.”

The Corydon, Iowa, racer was uncatchable in Sunday's final round of the IHRA Spring Nationals, scoring his third consecutive Rockingham victory.

“I'll probably leave it on the car,” Wyatt said. “Hopefully, we'll find a sponsor. But, if not, we'll leave (the decals) on for the whole year and dedicate it to the people who lost their lives.”