Bowyer working on new contract with MWR

Clint Bowyer

In a perfect world, Michael Waltrip Racing would have Clint Bowyer's contract extension signed prior to the Feb. 13 start of Speedweeks. Bowyer, 34, is one of the top free agents this season. With eight career Cup wins and five Chase appearances in the past seven seasons, the Emporia, Kan., native would bolster any organization's roster.

"It's obviously something we're talking about," MWR team owner Rob Kauffman said. "Clint's been a great asset to the team. We love having him. It's his third season, and I think everyone wants to keep the band together." Bowyer said he's committed to getting a deal completed so the negotiations do not become a distraction once the 2014 season begins.

"We working on it now, trying to get it renewed," he said. "It's time to perform and make sure we maintain that level of success so we can re-up these sponsors and get a contract signed. We should have something soon."

When asked whether an extension for Bowyer was based on re-signing 5-hour Energy, the #15 team's sponsor, Kauffman said, "It's not predicated on 5-hour, it's predicated on having adequate funding, but we can deal with that. I think the 5-hour folks are quite happy. It's been a successful run for them. They have to make a decision based on what makes sense for their business, but we're cautiously optimistic that everything will fit together." More from FoxSports