Clint Bowyer to honor his grandfather with Memorial Day tribute during Sprint Cup race
It’s not a potentially embarrassing misprint.
The sticker at the top of the windshield on Clint Bowyer’s No. 15 Five-Hour Energy Toyota is supposed to read Dale Bowyer for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
It’s part of NASCAR’s tribute to veterans for Memorial Day, dubbed “600 Miles of Remembrance.”
Each driver’s name will be replaced on the windshield by the name of a service member.
Bowyer chose to honor his late paternal grandfather, Dale, a U.S. Army lieutenant who won a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Distinguished Service Cross during World War II.
“It’s really special and heartfelt,” Bowyer said. “It makes you proud to be from America and be proud to represent guys like my grandfather.”
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second-highest military honor awarded in the Army.
When Lt. Dale Bowyer’s platoon came under heavy fire Jan. 25, 1945, near Sinz, Germany, and he was wounded by a land mine, he refused evacuation even though the injury would eventually require amputation of his leg.
Instead, Lt. Bowyer helped reorganize the platoon, which continued to advance, inspired by his bravery.
“Everybody on the racetrack is going to have somebody that’s close to them that was in the military and served for our country on our car,” Bowyer said. “It’s going to be right on the windshield, and there’s a great deal of pride in that.”
Bowyer never met his grandfather, who died in June 1974 about five years before Clint’s birth.
“I never got to meet him, but I’ve seen a lot of letters from the president, medals and all these awards that he got that we get to celebrate his life,” Bowyer said. “Certainly, I’ve seen all of his accomplishments. It’s neat to remember that and honor his name on the windshield of my car. I’m pretty excited about it.”
To reach Tod Palmer, call 816-234-4389 or send email to tpalmer@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @todpalmer.
This story was originally published May 23, 2015 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Clint Bowyer to honor his grandfather with Memorial Day tribute during Sprint Cup race."