Alex Bowman’s consistent start continued in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas. (Photo: Christopher Vargas | The Podium Finish)
LAS VEGAS – If consistency is the key to winning a championship, Alex Bowman is mastering this skill quite handily.
Prior to Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the ninth year NASCAR Cup Series driver placed fifth in the Daytona 500 and eighth in Fontana, California.
Those finishes boosted the 29-year-old Tucson, Arizona native to the third spot in the points standings. Moreover, Bowman entered the third race of 2023 as the highest ranked Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Like his prior two efforts, the methodical seven-time Cup race winner worked his way through the leaderboard.
After placing seventh in Stage 1, Bowman nabbed the third spot for Stage 2, setting up the scenario for a Hendrick Motorsports podium finish.
Life got a bit interesting in Stage 3 as he fought a bit of an ill handling car while battling the Joe Gibbs Racing duo of Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. for the third position.
Bowman made the most of a solid afternoon at Las Vegas. (Photo: Christopher Vargas | The Podium Finish)
At times, Hamlin and Truex had the advantage over Bowman in the final laps. However, a late race caution with less than two laps remaining set up a sprint to the finish, Overtime style.
Bowman, like the majority of the lead lap contenders, opted for two tires, restarting in the fifth position.
Despite restarting on the inside of Row 3, Bowman attempted a daring, three wide pass in between Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain.
Once the Arizonan cleared Chastain, he kept his car toward the high line, building momentum off Turn 2 on the final lap. It appeared as if Bowman had the speed to get past Larson for the runner-up position coming off Turn 4.
Larson moved his No. 5 car ahead of Bowman to retain the second position, prompting the defending Pennzoil 400 race winner to place third.
All in all, Bowman mulled over his decisions with adjusting his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro during the latter portion of the race.
“We were really fast in Stage 2,” Bowman said. “I was a little indecisive with what I wanted in the racecar. There were times I was a little free and times where I was a little snug. I hedged us to securing the back of the racecar a little bit and got us too tight for Stage 3, so that’s on me. Every change I wanted, I got. I just got us a little bit too tight.”
Still, Bowman secured the final spot of Hendrick’s third podium sweep in the past 26 years. The strong showing likely boosted the spirits of an ailing member of the organizaiton.
“I’m really proud of the 48 team,” he said. “I’m really pumped for HMS to be 1-2-3. I’ve been on the good side of those consecutive finishes so now I’m on the other side. But it was a fun race with our teammates.
“I’m glad we were able to get a 1-2-3 on the last restart. Rudy (Fugle) is a little under the weather so hopefully that gets him feeling a little better than he was this morning.”
Likewise, Bowman gave it all he had for the victory, nabbing two spots on the Overtime restart while in a pitched battle for second with Larson.
The final stop of the West Coast Swing is a bit of a homecoming for Bowman. (Photo: Christopher Vargas | The Podium Finish)
“I tried to be really aggressive to make up for it on that last restart,” he said. “I had a shot at it but was a couple of rows too far back to start. I’m really proud of Hendrick Motorsports. To be 1-2-3 is really awesome.”
If there is any consolation for Bowman, the series’ next stop is his hometrack of Phoenix Raceway for Sunday’s United Rentals 500k (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“Our Ally Camaro was really good, especially in Stage 2. I just asked for the wrong adjustments, probably. I’m excited with the way the year has started and hopefully we keep the momentum rolling next week at Phoenix.”
