October 17, 2019 | By Lee Spencer

Stewart-Haas Racing stays the course with Clint Bowyer

Clint Bowyer will keep the party going at Stewart-Haas Racing in 2020.

SHR announced on Thursday that the 40-year-old Emporia, Kansas, native will continue in the No. 14 Ford Mustang next season.

Bowyer, who made his 500th start in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, joined SHR after team co-owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart retired in 2016.

“Clint Bowyer is a racer to his core who brings passion and energy to our race team,” Stewart said. “He’s exactly who I wanted to drive my No. 14 car, and we’re very happy to have him continue with Stewart-Haas Racing.”

Bowyer is enjoying his 14th full season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The 2008 Xfinity Series champion has 10 wins, three poles, 80 top fives and 211 top 10 career Cup finishes. He has qualified for the Playoffs in eight of his 14 seasons, including the last two years with SHR.

“I’m proud to be back with Stewart-Haas Racing next year and very happy to announce it the week leading into my home race,” said Bowyer of the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. “This is a team filled with racers who love to compete, and as a race car driver, it’s exactly where you want to be. Great equipment, great teammates, and we’re all backed by great people, which starts at the top with Tony and (co-owner) Gene (Haas).

“They know how to build some fast Ford Mustangs, and I’m the lucky guy who gets to drive ‘em.”

Bowyer is currently 11th in the Cup standings—six points below the cut line entering the final race in the Playoffs' Round of 12. He has seven top-fives and 15 top-10 finishes in 2019, including a fifth-place finish at Kansas, the best result at his home track in six seasons. In 22 starts on the 1.5-mile, Bowyer’s top finish was second in 2007.

“We know what we have to do this weekend,” Bowyer said. “We need to get stage points, a great finish and maybe even a win. We finished fifth here in May, we just have to do a few spots better this weekend.”