By Luis Torres, Staff Writer/Photographer
FORT WORTH, Texas – Alex Bowman nabbed his second straight top-three finish in Sunday’s Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
The kind of luck that’ll boost an individual’s morale for a man many people felt he needed after not scoring a top-10 since last August.
Now in the past two weeks, back-to-back third-place finishes have provided plenty of smiles for Bowman. To the point that Bowman’s heralded momentum became a talking point after the race. Perhaps getting a little bit of help from NASCAR Cup Series points leader Tyler Reddick, who he gave credit when reflecting on his performance.
“It feels good. Honestly, just to be having solid days and finishing races after how the start of the season went,” said Bowman. “Super happy for this Ally 48 team, everybody at Hendrick Motorsports. Happy for the 9 (Chase Elliott) on the win. Hendrick Engine Shop did a great job.
“We got way better from where we unloaded, and definitely momentum headed in the right direction. All in all, a good day for us. Big shout-out to (Tyler) Reddick for cutting me a break on the last lap. That could have been bad. Appreciative to him.”
“Yeah, just need to be a little bit better there, but we’re definitely headed in the right direction.”
After missing four races due to vertigo, which saw drivers Anthony Alfredo and Justin Allgaier step in the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet in his place, Bowman has proven that while dealing with a sense of urgency amidst talking about his future at Hendrick Motorsports, he’s risen to the occasion.
Vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports Jeff Gordon explained that he’s proud of Bowman’s momentum after overcoming a lot not just this season, but throughout his lengthy Cup career.
“To have back-to-back top 5s is fantastic,” said Gordon. “Some great momentum there as well. I thought he looked good. The car looked good. He looked good.”
When asked about Bowman’s journey, which includes a crash at Texas in Fall 2022 where he was sidelined with a concussion, Gordon acknowledged the resiliency Bowman is known for behind the wheel.
“I’ve never had to overcome the adversity he’s had to overcome,” Gordon explained. “Before he ever got to NASCAR, you know, he’s gone through some tough things mentally and physically from driving for a team that had to close shop to getting a ride at Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Jr. praising him and then getting injured and some of those things.”
“I think it goes to show you the resiliency and strength that he has. I almost think he thrives sometimes when he’s down. He’s a fighter. I think these last few weeks — not just the last two — when he’s gotten back in the car, he has shown what he’s made of as a human being.
“For him, Chloe, his fiancée, and their life that they’re building; and then this team, for Blake Harris (Bowman’s crew chief) and everybody on there, they needed a spark, and it’s nice that they’ve gotten that.
“It’s one thing to do it at Talladega, but it’s another thing to do it where you’ve got to have grip and speed and execution and good restarts, all those things. I think this one really means a lot to them.”
Bowman’s third-place result gained him two spots in the regular season standings and will look for his first top-10 at the popular 2.45-mile road course known as Watkins Glen International next Sunday (3 p.m. ET on FS1).
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