Clint Bowyer knows how to drive.
But driving a golfball? That's another thing.
"I'm just gonna try and keep it out of the trees today," Bowyer said before he teed off.
The driver of the #15 5-Hour Energy Toyota came back to Wichita as a guest of Hawker-Beechcraft in the Wichita Open Pro-Am at Crestview Country Club, Wednesday afternoon.
Bowyer admitted to not having played in over a year and when asked about his game he quipped, "Just leave it at handicapped."
The Emporia native grew up racing motorcycles and played sparingly as a kid.
"Everybody golfs on the weekends," Bowyer said. "And when you are off racing, it just doesn't leave a lot of time for it."
Bowyer heads off to Sonoma, California this weekend for a road course stop where he is currently ninth in the Sprint Cup standings. With the travel and the demands to learn a new course quickly, he sees a lot of similarities in what the Nationwide Touring pros do and life on the racing circuit.
"You have to hit your marks and you have to be consistent in your swing, so a lot things play hand in hand with what they do and what we do," Bowyer said. "Obviously the speed of the game is a lot different but at the end of the day, a lot of it is having the right mental attitude.
"With our sport, its much more of a team sport, and in golf you can lean on your caddie, but at the end of the day, you are the one holding the club in your hand or the steering wheel; you determine the outcome."
Whether his game came with him to Wichita or not, the staff at Crestview made sure Bowyer felt right at home in his golf cart."They pimped may cart out! Wouldn't be a NASCAR Driver without having a number on the door. (Pointing at the cart) I can handle that - I'm a lot better driving that than I am a golf ball, I can promise you that."
