Certainly, the closing laps in Richmond were noteworthy for a number of reasons; unfortunately for Bowyer, getting his second career Cup victory wasn’t one of them. A restrictor-plate-style wreck, Denny Hamlin’s fall from the top and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s meeting with the retaining wall were the stories of the night.

If ever there was a metaphor for a guy’s career, this is it: As the crowd is drawn to the big names and their fortunes, Bowyer slips by.

At his own organization, he’s overshadowed too. Jeff Burton led the points until the checkered flag at Richmond and has been one of Cup’s most consistent drivers for years. Kevin Harvick has a Daytona 500 win to his credit, but his combustibility is always worth keeping an eye on.

And then there’s Bowyer. Richard Childress Racing’s other driver.

By performance alone, he’s at least the equal of his teammates. Burton has two wins since the start of the ’07 season, as does Bowyer; Harvick has the controversial Daytona win as well as a victory in the non-points All-Star race.

During last year’s Chase, Bowyer was the only driver to keep any sort of pace with the Jimmie Johnson/Jeff Gordon Hendrick juggernaut. At the end, Bowyer was no factor, but he hung in the game longer than nine other drivers (almost all of whom had bigger names and bigger Q ratings).

This year, Bowyer is part of the surging Childress organization. All three drivers are in the top five in points — Burton is second, Bowyer fourth and Harvick fifth — an impressive statement for any team. Bowyer is also leading the Nationwide points race too.

Say what you will about Bowyer’s win at Richmond; it can’t be argued that it was fluky. He certainly gained from other’s shortcomings; if Hamlin’s tire stays intact or Busch doesn’t get loose in Turn 3, we’re writing an entirely different post today.

But the facts are what they are. Bowyer wound up celebrating after the race while 42 others weren’t so lucky.

By now, however, Bowyer’s driving acumen can’t be described as fluky. In a year and a half, he’s shown us he can drive. It shouldn’t be long before he moves from the shadows into the spotlight.

(Photo by Gary C. Knapp/Associated Press)