Clint Bowyer Joins Burton & Leicht In No. 29 Holiday Inn Team In 2009

Richard Childress Racing's No. 29 Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Racing team has added championship-winner Clint Bowyer to its driver lineup for the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

The 2008 Nationwide Series drivers' champion will share the behind-the-wheel duties with Jeff Burton and Stephen Leicht, who were announced in August as co-drivers for 2009. Burton and Scott Wimmer steered the No. 29 Holiday Inn Racing team to the 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series owners' championship and finished fifth in the owners' standings last season.

Crew chief Dan Deeringhoff, who guided Bowyer to the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver's title, will move from RCR's No. 2 team to assume the position of crew chief for the Holiday Inn Racing team.

"Having the defending Nationwide Series champion adds a tremendous amount of value to our racing program," said John Merkin, Senior Vice President of Brand Management for the Holiday Inn Brands in the Americas. "Clint has proven that he's a great champion and we look forward to having him behind the wheel with Jeff and Stephen in 2009.  This should put the No. 29 Holiday Inn Racing Chevrolet in a great position to compete for another Nationwide Series owners' point championship in 2009."

The Holiday Inn Racing team has earned seven victories, 31 top-five and 53 top-10 finishes in 80 starts over two full seasons (2007, '08) and a 10-race season in 2006.