Clint Bowyer will team up with Kevin Harvick as the second driver of Richard Childress Racing's (RCR) No. 21 Reese's Chevrolet for the 2004 NASCAR Busch Series season.

Bowyer, 24, of Emporia, Kan., will be making a big step in his racing career but has earned the opportunity. He won the 2002 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Midwest Region championship with 10 victories and 18 top-five finishes in 19 starts in the NWRS Modified division at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. He also competed in 2003 in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Late Model and the NASCAR International Truck and Engine Corporation Midwest Series (formerly the RE/MAX Challenge Series). Bowyer rounded out his 2003 season by competing in two ARCA events in 2003, finishing second in his series debut at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway in August.

"Clint had a great test with at Lakeland (Fla.) Speedway with the No. 21 Reese's crew after the Homestead race," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "He's got a lot of talent and we think having him as the second driver for the Reese's car, working with Kevin Harvick, is the perfect opportunity for him to learn and develop. The goal for the Reese's team in 2004 is to repeat as the Busch Series owner's champion and we have the confidence in Clint that he can help us do that."

Bowyer rose quickly on the short list of drivers Childress tabbed as potential drivers for the team.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime," said Bowyer. "I'm extremely lucky to get the chance to drive for Richard Childress and work with Kevin Harvick. It'll be great to work with a sponsor like Hershey Foods and the Reese's brand. I'm very excited to join a championship team and, hopefully, I can contribute each time I get into the car and continue to learn all year long."

Hershey Foods and RCR announced in October that the No. 21 team would change brands from PayDay to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Harvick and Johnny Sauter were the team's co-drivers in 2003.

"Hershey Foods was extremely proud of the No. 21 team's Busch Series success in 2003," said Mark McCormick, NASCAR manager for Hershey Foods Corporation. "We now look forward to seeing Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer leading the way in 2004 behind the wheel of the No. 21 Reese's car. We are very excited to welcome Clint Bowyer to the team and look forward to watching his development in the sport of NASCAR racing."

In other RCR news from the NASCAR Busch Series, Childress has switched the crew chief and crews of the No. 2 ACDelco and No. 21 Reese's teams. Crew chief Butch Hylton and the crewmembers that guided Harvick and Sauter to the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series Owner's championship in the No. 21 PayDay Chevrolet will now assume the same duties for driver Ron Hornaday and the No. 2 ACDelco Chevrolet. Rick Viers and the crewmembers that took Hornaday to a third-place finish in the 2003 driver standings will take over the same responsibilities for the No. 21 Reese's Chevrolet.

"I'm always looking to strengthen our race teams and this move will do just that," said Childress. "I'm sure some people might be scratching their heads wondering why I would make a change like this after we won the owner's championship and finished third in the driver's championship. Obviously, the ACDelco and Reese's teams were already pretty strong but I feel they'll be even stronger in 2004."