JOLIET, Ill. – After three runner-up finishers in a row earlier this year, Alex Bowman knew his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory was right around the corner.
On Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway, Bowman finally kicked down the door to victory lane.
The driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet fended off a late challenge from Kyle Larson, holding on for his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in the Camping World 400.
“I feel like this is a lot of validation for a lot of people who said we couldn’t do this,” Bowman said moments after earning his first series victory. “My guys have worked so hard. We struggled so bad last year and the beginning of this year. I had questions if Mr. H (Rick Hendrick) was going to let me keep doing this.
“Winning a race in the Cup Series just means so much.”
Bowman ran near the front most of the day, but he didn’t take command for the first time until lap 171 when he drove by Larson shortly after a restart. Once out front Bowman seized command of the race, at times leading by more than three seconds.
After the final round of pit stops Bowman cycled back into the race lead with Larson, fresh off a USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series triumph Saturday night, still chasing him.
With a little more than 20 laps left things began to change for Bowman as he got stuck trying to overtake the lap car of Paul Menard. That allowed Larson to close the gap to Bowman significantly.
With 17 laps left Larson closed the gap to Bowman to one second and four laps later Larson was within half a second of Bowman. Two laps later Larson was there and looking for a way around Bowman.
Larson continued to chase Bowman for the next few laps, sizing up his opponent before making his move. That move came with eight laps left when Larson when low in turns one and two, getting alongside Bowman as they exited turn two down the backstretch.
They stayed side-by-side down the backstretch before Larson pulled clear into the lead in turn three. Bowman stayed on the gas and quickly got himself focused on chasing Larson back down.
With six laps left Bowman got a run on Larson entering turn one and managed to get to Larson’s inside at the exit of turn two. They side drafted down the backstretch, with the pair briefly banging fenders before Bowman pulled clear of Larson as they entered turn three.
Larson was unable to mount another challenge, falling a little more than half a second short of Bowman when the checkered flag waved.
“I just am tired of running second. I don’t want to do that anymore,” said Bowman, who earned his first series victory in his 134th start. “I can’t believe it. There are so many people capable of doing this. So thankful that I got the opportunity.
“I didn’t change anything from running 35th every week. I might work out a little harder and study a little harder, but I didn’t change much. To go from doing that to doing this is pretty incredible.”
One year after a dramatic finish saw Larson spin on the last lap while battling Kyle Busch at Chicagoland, the California native was again on the losing end of a great finish at the 1.5-mile track.
“I could see him struggling when I was getting to him. When I got by him I was like, ‘OK, good. Now he’ll be in my dirty air and get loose,’” Larson said. “He could get big runs on me down the straightaways and I think that allowed him to get that run into one.
“He got to my inside and I got a little bit tight. I don’t know if him putting air on my spoiler got me tight. I had to kind of breath it a little bit and then we side-drafted on the backstretch. I wish I would have done some things different going into three.”
Joey Logano finished third and was chased to the checkers by Jimmie Johnson, who earned his best finish of the season in fourth. Brad Keselowski completed the top-five in fifth.
The race was stopped for more than three hours after the completion of 12 laps because of a rain storm that brought severe lightning to the area.
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