Clint Bowyer Collects 1st Win Since 2012 with Victory at Martinsville 2018

Clint Bowyer controlled the second half of the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway to win his first race since 2012, a span of 190 races between wins.

The No. 14 car led 215 of the 500 laps, including almost the entire third stage, holding on for first place ahead of Kyle Busch.

The race in Ridgeway, Virginia, was postponed from Sunday to Monday due to inclement weather, but it didn't seem to affect the eventual winner.

Final Results

1. Clint Bowyer (14)

2. Kyle Busch (18)

3. Ryan Blaney (12)

4. Martin Truex Jr. (78)

5. Kevin Harvick (4)

6. Joey Logano (22)

7. Alex Bowman (88)

8. AJ Allmendinger (47)

9. Chase Elliott (9)

10. Brad Keselowski (2)

Full results available at NASCAR.com.

It took quality driving to stay ahead with the tight turns, but Bowyer crossed the finish line and quickly celebrated with a burnout on the track:

While it was a long time coming for the veteran, the win was also well-deserved after a dominant showing on the short track.

With qualifying canceled, points leader Martin Truex Jr. started on the poll, but his lead didn't last too long.

The first stage featured tons of battles for position and a lot of minor contact, yet the real damage was limited. It all led to Denny Hamlin edging the field for the Stage 1 win.

Stage 2 was just as close, but Ryan Blaney was able to cross the line just ahead of Bowyer:

Blaney had a strong run in front of the pack throughout the second stage and beyond, although Bowyer was the big story from there as he move into first place and stayed there.

It had been 190 races since his last win, and he only led 36 total laps over the past three seasons, per NASCAR. However, he was a new man on Monday while sitting in control for the majority of the final stage.

This was all despite near disaster on Lap 384:

He survived the spin and stayed in control deep into the race. Bob Pockrass of ESPN discussed Bowyer's recent history:

No one was able to catch him as he secured his first victory in years.

After a week off, the season will continue on April 8 with the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.