The everlasting win was the one on the monitor as he ended a irritating 80-race winless streak by holding off Tyler Reddick to win on the two.2-mile, 12-turn course by the Grant Park space of downtown Chicago.
For the second consecutive 12 months, the race was lower brief by darkness as groups needed to wait out a one hour, 45-minute rain delay within the second stage.
As soon as once more, the race noticed the usage of moist climate tires and it was the choice of Bowman’s No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports crew to maintain him on these tires moderately than change to new slicks that helped present the victory.
Timing is every thing
The win couldn’t come at a greater time for the 31-year-old native of Tucson, Ariz., for a number of causes. The obvious being he’s now locked within the 2024 playoffs and now not the one Hendrick driver and not using a win.
“It’s not been a variety of enjoyable. We gained 4 races in ’21. We gained proper off the bat in ’22. Then we had a tough summer season in ’22 after which we obtained again rolling after which I obtained harm and we began ’23 actually quick and I obtained harm once more,” Bowman stated after the race.
“Yeah, it’s actually tough. Clearly, we’ve all of the instruments we have to win, and our teammates have been actually good all through that point. However we simply couldn’t put it collectively.
“Actually, the final month has been tremendous irritating for us. We’ve had a variety of issues exterior of our management, price us a variety of factors, and it’s been actually irritating.”
Race winner Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Ally Chevrolet Camaro
Picture by: Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
Whereas and not using a win, Bowman had been as excessive as eighth within the collection standings as lately as the tip of Could, and in a stable place to make the playoffs primarily based on factors.
Nonetheless, with one end higher than 14th since, he had misplaced appreciable floor coming into final weekend’s race.
That state of affairs is now irrelevant, and Bowman and his crew can give attention to placing themselves in one of the best place doable for when the playoffs start.
Bowman’s extra momentary victory on Sunday was on his detractors, who all the time appear query his longevity at Hendrick as a result of he doesn’t personal championships like teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson or the wins of teammate William Byron.
Throughout his greater than two-year winless drought, Bowman has additionally suffered a again harm from a wreck whereas driving a dash automobile and suffered a concussion in an accident in a Cup race.
“I feel you’ll want to win races for those who’re at HMS. However definitely, no person has made me really feel like I’m on the new seat,” stated Bowman, who has a contract that goes by the 2026 season.
“There’s by no means been a single dialog with a single person who has questioned something to do with that in any respect. It’s all the time been, ‘What do you want? How can we show you how to? How can we help the crew?’
“That’s the nice half about Hendrick Motorsports is regardless of the noise is exterior, all people inside isn’t going to tear one another down. They’re all the time going to be supportive.”
Is it sufficient?
For one week – or possibly just some days – Bowman has conquered the noise.
Hendrick Motorsports drivers will now make up one-fourth of the 16-driver playoff discipline and Bowman has the shortest present winless streak of any driver within the collection (zero).
However that definitely gained’t final. Even when Bowman ought to win extra races this season, there can be those that assume it’s not sufficient.
He doesn’t want their validation however for no less than sooner or later he loved getting one of the best of them.
“As a human being, I’m only a dude making an attempt to do my job one of the best I probably can, and I see every thing that will get stated about me,” he stated. “So, to have the ability to overcome what I’ve gone by and to finish up again right here, it feels actually good.
“I didn’t want it. Actually, so much in my life that I don’t want. I’m simply appreciative of it.”
