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Bowyer not at Hendrick level yet

Clint Bowyer says it will be difficult for him to put up a consistent challenge for the Nextel Cup title against Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as he feels his team is not at the level shown this season by Hendrick Motorsports

The Richard Childress Racing driver, who currently ranks third in the Chase for the championship, says that even if he is able to maintain his current form, it will take some bad luck for Johnson and Gordon to allow him to seriously challenge for this year's title.

"Even if we do that and win two or three more races this year it's still going to take some bad luck on their side," said Bowyer.

"If you win they're going to finish second or third, they're just that good right now but we have to be that good too and hopefully if they slip up and stub their toe or something, we have to be there for the taking and racing as hard as we can week in and week out. That's all we can do."

Bowyer won his first Nextel Cup race at New Hampshire, the first event of the Chase. Since then, he has finished second twice and has scored top-12 finishes in the other two races. Despite such strong form, he believes he and his team are not still up to the level of the Hendrick teams on a consistent basis.

"We're obviously not running at their level, haven't been all season," Bowyer added. "I definitely think in the last few races we all knew we had to pick up our program and we've been able to do that and we're racing right there with them, leading laps and going back and forth from track position with Jeff and Jimmie."

The 28-year-old, who is in his second full season of Nextel Cup competition, has been arguably the surprise of the season. While many are expecting him to hit trouble for the first time in the Chase and make his first big mistake, he says that encourages him even more to carry on with his string of good results.

"That's fuel for the fire," Bowyer said. "That's all it is. Everybody said we were the team that backed into the Chase just because we hadn't won a race and we were ninth not 12th.

"There were three cars behind us. Like I said, that's just fuel for the fire. It makes you want to do good even more so I like it. Keep it up."

Bowyer will start on Sunday at Martinsville from 21st on the grid in the sixth race of the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

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