Alex Bowman during driver introductions for the 2025 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. (Photo Credit: Declan Wayman | The Podium Finish)
DOVER, Del. — Despite all three of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates having their tickets punched to the 2025 NASCAR Playoffs, Alex Bowman isn’t giving up on his dream of being one of 16 drivers fighting for a title, as his third place effort during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway was the finish he needed at one of his best tracks on the calendar.
Bowman proved to be one of the strongest long-run cars of the afternoon, leading in the 20-lap averages for the majority of the afternoon as well as driving his way up from starting in the 16th spot in a race where track position was vital meant a lot to the veteran before the rain rolled in with just 15 laps to go, putting the race in a 56-minute red flag period as NASCAR began to dry the track to get the race back underway.
Once the rain was cleared and the track was reset for racing conditions, Bowman fired off from just outside the top 5 and worked his way up to fourth before the final yellow came out, putting the race into a second overtime attempt.
The Tucson, Arizona native made one final restart, moving to the inside of his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson. He held off third place while trying to charge to the front for the lead, but ultimately fell short as Denny Hamlin secured his second consecutive Miles the Monster trophy.
Alex Bowman ties the most points he’s earned in a Cup Series race this season, collecting 49 points to add onto his points buffer as the season inches closer to the playoffs. (Photo Credit: Declan Wayman | The Podium Finish)
Bowman also led the Hendrick Motorsports charge late in the event, as Chase Elliott proved to be the car to beat after leading the most laps of his career in the Generation Seven car at 238 laps. He ultimately finished sixth in the event.
“We always circle (Dover) to run well at,” Bowman said to The Podium Finish following the third-place effort. “It’s probably my best race track. Unfortunately, without any practice or qualifying, the run I had at Sonoma Raceway meant we had to start pretty far back and could never get clean air. We struggled on the short run, but it was great on the long run. We were better than third.”
The result gave Bowman a much better, comfortable cushion regarding the NASCAR Cup Series playoff cutline, as he entered Dover with just a 32-point buffer before adding 24 more vital points as he continues to sit 14th in the playoff standings with just five races to go entering Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
You want to win. I think we knew we were going to be good here, but just not quite good enough,” Bowman said after talking about his strong results in the past at Dover Motor Speedway, which has seen the driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet finish no worse than eighth in the last five Dover events.
Bowman now jumps to ninth in the regular season standings as the series rolls in for yet another crown jewel event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the running of the iconic Brickyard 400.
Coverage of the event will air live on TNT on Sunday, July 27 at 2:00 p.m. ET, with radio coverage powered by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.
