Clint Bowyer racing for more than Chase

— -- BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Clint Bowyer entered Bristol Motor Speedway clinging to two key pieces of NASCAR gold.

He still has a grasp on the 16th and final Chase for the Sprint Cup. And he has his sponsorship from 5-Hour Energy, which could help him shop for a new ride in 2016.

Nothing is a certainty. But Bowyer still has a measure of control over his future, even though he won't be joining Michael Waltrip Racing co-owner Rob Kauffman at Chip Ganassi Racing in 2016.

So Bowyer and his crew will take the green flag Saturday night, racing not only to make the Chase but to prove themselves to prospective employers who might hire them when MWR closes its doors in November.

"The future for me is uncertain right now," Bowyer said Friday morning at the media center at Bristol Motor Speedway. "We've got a lot of work to do. ... [Kauffman] made a business decision to move forward, and that direction, as we all know from his previous statements, is the Ganassi organization.

"For my career and me and my future, it's just unfortunate that Rob and I, our futures didn't align anymore. It's as simple as that."

Bowyer is expected to bring the 5-Hour Energy sponsorship with him, just as he did when he went from Richard Childress Racing to MWR after the 2011 season. Although neither Bowyer nor 5-Hour would confirm that they would stick together, Kauffman said Friday that he expects 5-Hour to join Bowyer in his new home.

Any organization that can expand and remain within the four-team NASCAR limit could take Bowyer, especially if it could pair the 5-Hour Energy sponsorship with another sponsor.