Alex Bowman answered the call at Daytona. (Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Move over, “Bowman the Showman.”
Following Wednesday night’s Daytona 500 front row qualifying session, FOX NASCAR’s Mike Joy perfectly coined a new nickname for Alex Bowman in relation to his latest feat – “Awesome.”
For the sixth consecutive year, Bowman, the 29-year-old Tucson, Arizona native earned a front row qualifying spot. More importantly, he won his third Daytona 500 pole position.
Bowman, who signed a three-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports, logged a hot lap of 49.536 seconds (181.686 mph), leading his team to a podium sweep of the top three fastest qualifying times.
After conversing on his cell phone, Bowman flashed his trademark smile while giving praise to his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro team with Blake Harris, his new chief, atop the pit box.
“I would love to be able to sit here and take a little bit of credit,” Bowman said. “I feel like my launch was okay and my shifts were good. Man, it’s really on the team guys. They get the job done.”
Despite Ricky Stenhouse Jr. driving his No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Racing Chevrolet to the pole in 2020, it was with a Hendrick Motorsports engine.
By all means, Bowman continued Hendrick’s firm grip on front row qualifying from an individual and organizational level.
Hendrick Motorsports has won eight of the last nine Daytona 500 poles while their motors have won nine consecutive pole positions, a fact not lost with Bowman.
“(I’m) just appreciative for all their hard work, the time and effort, whether it’s the engine shop or all the guys in the car shop,” he said. “There’s a ton of effort that goes into trying to qualify well here. Most of it’s on their end. So definitely really appreciative.”
Meanwhile, Kyle Larson, last year’s pole sitter, tallied the second fastest effort with a time of 49.708 seconds (181.057 mph).
Much like Bowman with his Bluegreen Vacations Duel race, Larson has the luxury of being as aggressive or cautious as possible while retaining his qualifying spot if he avoids trouble.
Kyle Larson and Cliff Daniels confer before Wednesday night’s front row qualifying session. (Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
“I would like to kind of see how the good guys set themselves up throughout a run to be up towards the front or wherever they need to be to miss wrecks and stuff,” Larson said. “It’s just a difficult style of racing that I just haven’t had the best of time in my career. I used to always say it’s bad luck, but I don’t necessarily feel that way any more.
“Yeah, just try to, as you do with every racetrack, just get better.”
As Larson looks to improve upon his seventh-place points standings finish last year, he marveled at his team’s qualifying success while mulling over the prospects of a successful Sunday afternoon.
“There’s obviously tricks and stuff that they’ve learned along the way that still apply to I’m assuming these cars,” he said. “It’s pretty neat. It’s pretty cool to see the success that they’ve had on qualifying day.
“Rick gets really excited about that. I know he’d be even more excited if one of the four of us could end up in Victory Lane on Sunday.”
Bowman adds to his awesome qualifying record like Ken Schrader’s historical run in the late 1980s and early 1990s. (Photo: Cornnell Chu | The Podium Finish)
Before Bowman and Larson prepare for Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2 p.m. ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), Thursday night’s Bluegreen Vacations Duels (7 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) await both drivers and teams.
The easiest part of their weekend is in the books with more hurdles ahead.
Moreover, Bowman does not get to take it easy nor get a lofty prize with his Daytona achievement.
“No, no. I get added workload. I don’t get any bonus. Nothing. I get a trophy and three more hours of work,” Bowman said with a smile.
