Bowyer makes gains in playoff push

The best car Clint Bowyer and the No. 14 team rolled off the hauler in some time paid off at Pocono Raceway.

Bowyer didn't win the Overton's 400, but he banked a critical playoff point by winning the second stage. It was a small victory Bowyer eagerly grabbed when the front two teams of Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin chose to pit late in the stage.

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"It was a big pit strategy day for sure, and you know that going into a race like this," Bowyer said after a sixth-place finish. "Our car was good all weekend; we unloaded a fast car. This is the best car that we've unloaded in quite some time. A little bit different build."

A win would have locked Bowyer into the playoffs. Instead, even though he is 10th in the championship standings, 13 drivers have locked into the playoffs through wins. So Bowyer continues his battle with Matt Kenseth for the final transfer spot with five races remaining.

Bowyer had been sitting in a playoff spot until last week, when a win by Kasey Kahne leapfrogged him into the championship picture while knocking out Bowyer. The good news is that Bowyer cut his deficit in half on Sunday.

After entering the day 33 points behind Kenseth for the final spot, Bowyer is now 17 points behind. Sunday was his fourth top-10 finish in the last six races.

"'Hopefully, this is what we're looking for, what I'm looking for and [we can] build on this," Bowyer said.

Next on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the final road course of the season at Watkins Glen. Bowyer has not won at Watkins Glen but does have a victory at the Sonoma road course and finished second there in June.