Don O’Neal
Rumors had swirled for some time as to the status of Clint Bowyer Racing going into the 2020 season. Speculation had been circulating that the organization which had fielded two cars throughout much of its history would reorganize to some degree over the off-season after its owner’s contract with Stewart-Haas Racing took longer than expected to be finalized.
At least one piece of that puzzle was revealed on Wednesday afternoon when it was published on Don O’Neal’s website that he would no longer be a part of the NASCAR Cup Series star’s team but would instead return to the chassis brand that ushered him to victory lane on numerous occasions prior to his joining forces with CBR.
O’Neal won the 2014 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship as well as events such as the USA Nationals, the Show-me 100, the Hillbilly 100, and the Pittsburger 100 while driving for Bowyer.
O’Neal will partner with his son(Hudson), who announced earlier in this off-season that he would drive the MasterSbilt Race Cars house car for longtime chassis builder Tader Masters. The elder O’Neal will compete in select events in his familiar No. 71 while serving as a teammate to his son.
Hudson O’Neal plans to begin the season with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series when that tour goes into its portion of Georgia-Florida SpeedWeeks in late January and early February.
“The first priority next season is Hudson and his efforts on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series,” Don O’Neal stated in the release posted to his website. “I probably won’t start my season until later in the spring when racing starts up here around home. Everyone’s full focus right now is getting Hudson ready to go for Speedweeks and I’ll be down in Georgia and Florida helping him get going.”
The veteran driver will lend a hand to his son’s racing efforts as he watches his the rising star develop.
“I am looking forward to scaling back a little bit and not running a national touring series full-time, but still being in first-class equipment and being able to compete in select events that I want to run,” O’Neal added. “A huge thank you has to go to Tader and Jerilyn Masters, along with all of their partners and product supporters they have on board, for putting this whole deal together.”
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