CONCORD, N.C. – Everything was working against Alex Bowman this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but somehow he found a way to keep fighting back.
Bowman finished second in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400, scoring just enough points to lock himself into the second round of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. The road was a long one for the Arizona native, but in the end he got the job done.
He started off the week not feeling well and spent Wednesday through Saturday battling an illness, but overcame that illness to qualify on the front row for Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400.
Unfortunately that second-place starting position disappeared in the final seconds of final practice Saturday when Bowman crashed between turns three and four on the infield section of the course.
Bowman was forced to a backup car, which meant he had to start at the tail of the field. His race didn’t get off to a good start either as he wheel hopped entering the backstretch chicane on the first lap, causing himself to spin and Bubba Wallace to miss the chicane.
“I mean probably about lap 10 of the race, I was pretty done and out of it just from a physical standpoint,” Bowman said, referencing the illness he’d been battling all week. “I just tried to keep digging and obviously, I tried to give it away on lap one. As soon as I touched the brake pedal it started wheel-hopping and turned around on me.”
Two trips down pit road – one for fresh tires and another to serve a penalty for missing the chicane on the opening lap – left Bowman stuck at the rear of the field during the first stage of the race.
Things didn’t get any better at the end of the first stage, when Bowman was collected in a multi-car pileup entering turn one during a restart. His car sustained minimal damage and he was able to drive away, but he was once again at the back of the field.
Bowman kept working throughout the rest of the race, slowly moving his way back up through the field. He had a run-in with Wallace on lap 42 that saw Bowman spin Wallace at the exit of the backstretch chicane, something that led to a brief pit-road confrontation after the race that saw Wallace toss the contents of a water bottle in Bowman’s face.
“I don’t know if he was mad about the first lap, or what, but obviously that was just a mistake,” Bowman said. “And then I got flipped off every single straightaway on the entire race track for three laps. I got flipped off by him for like three or four laps in a row at Richmond, so I’m just over it.
“I’ve got to stand up for myself at some point, right? He probably wouldn’t have got wrecked if he had his finger back in the car.”
As the race neared its conclusion, Bowman was still somehow in contention to claim a spot in the second round of the playoffs despite all the hardships he’d battled throughout the day.
A call to come down pit road late in the race while many of the lead cars stayed out gave Bowman fresh tires to work with, something he would take full advantage of in the waining laps of the race.
During the final restart Bowman went from sixth to second in a matter of laps, which helped him in his quest to advance to the second round of the playoffs. His quest got a lot easier a few laps later when his playoff rival Ryan Newman missed the backstretch chicane and was assessed a penalty, allowing Bowman sneak into the second round of the playoffs by the skin of his teeth.
“I’m glad we were able to rebound and the guys obviously gave me a really strong car to get back through the field,” Bowman said.
After the race Bowman was taken to the infield car center for fluids and to be checked out, but when he emerged he told the assembled media that he’d be ready to race when the second round of the playoffs kick off next week at Dover (Del.) Int’l Speedway.
“There at the end, cautions were rough. Under green it is what it is,” Bowman said. “But under caution, when you actually have time to think about how you feel, it’s not much fun.
“I was tired and everything was real tingly, which is not a great feeling inside a race car. I got some fluids and I’m definitely feeling better. We’ll be good to go in Dover,” Bowman said.