Childress: Bowyer Talks "Getting Tougher"

It’s looking less and less likely that Clint Bowyer will remain with Richard Childress Racing in 2012.

Team owner Richard Childress confirmed that negotiations between the two parties have deteriorated in recent weeks, saying talks are “getting tougher and tougher as the days go by.” Bowyer is rumored to have a multi-year commitment from Five Hour Energy in hand, and has said repeatedly that he would prefer to sign a new, three-year contract and remain with Childress. However, salary provisions and the length of the contract have reportedly become stumbling blocks, and Bowyer has reportedly been in talks with both Richard Petty Motorsports and Michael Waltrip Racing about possible 2012 rides with those organizations.

"We've worked really hard to put the deal together to keep Clint,” said Childress on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio’s Tradin’ Paint Thursday. “It's not 100% off the table, but it's getting tougher and tougher as the days go by. Clint's got a couple of really good opportunities facing him (and)… it just didn't seem that we could get everything worked out. Clint's still a good friend. I want the best for him. I feel like that we've done a lot together and I hope that if we can't put him in a car next year, that he gets in a ride he's really good and happy with."

Childress said he will continue talks in an effort to salvage his relationship with the Emporia, Kansas, driver, but admitted he is now “looking at other options and trying to put some things together.” Bowyer characterized Childress’ comments as “fair,” and offered no further information on the status of his contract talks.

"There are opportunities we're trying to weigh out,” said Bowyer. “You've got to have all the stars line up. You can't just have one piece of the puzzle, or a couple pieces of the puzzle. You have to have the whole puzzle put together and that's how you do that in today's world. You're wasting your time talking about it to the media because you don't really have anything to deliver to them."