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Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman and his #48 Ally Camaro ZL1 crew chief Greg Ives have been doing a tremendous job this season. In the past two playoff races, Bowman has managed to earn a top-10 and top-five finish respectively. He sealed his day with a 10th place finish in the playoff opener at Darlington before securing a 4th place finish at Kansas.
Bowman's recent performances have shown that he possesses the constituency to be one of the key ingredients in winning a championship. He currently sits 6th in the playoffs, meaning a good run at Bristol this weekend will give him a direct pass to the Round of 12 and a good position to shoot his championship shot.
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This is the first time Alex Bowman and the NASCAR family will visit the 0.533-mile, concrete Bristol track. While others think the track is somewhat unpredictable, Bowman and his #48 crew are focused on making a championship run.
During a media interview earlier this week, Bowman cited how he feels they have momentum heading to Bristol, and how his team is more focused on making a championship run. In his statement, the Tucson native said:
“I think we have a lot of momentum heading to Bristol (Motor Speedway) and our team is focused on making a championship run. Greg (Ives) and the team back at the shop have been building really fast No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaros and our pit crew has been firing on all cylinders. Getting a top-10 finish at Darlington Raceway and then a top-five finish at Kansas Speedway really puts our best foot forward this postseason”
Bristol has been one of Bowman’s favorite tracks, where he scored a P5 finish last year and a P6 finish in the dirt earlier this year. This weekend will mark the end of the playoffs road for some drivers apart from the Next Gen car making its first run on the track.
Alex Bowman and William Byron are yet to clinch a title at Hendrick Motorsport
The Round of 16 only consists of three races, of which two are already done, with the Bristol race being the last one.
Although Alex Bowman is in a good position to proceed to the next level next weekend, a poor finish or a DNF could stretch him below the Round of 12 cutlines, automatically eliminating him from the playoffs.
Four Hendrick Motorsports charters are currently in the playoffs. Alex Bowman sits 6th, his teammate William Byron sits 2nd, and Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson sit in 7th and 8th positions respectively.
Out of the four charters, every driver is working hard to ensure they bring the championship to Hendrick Motorsports. Alex Bowman and William Byron are the only two drivers in Hendrick Motorsports who have not yet clinched the title.
As Bowman says goodbye to his crew chief at the end of the season, the two are working hard to make sure they bring the championship home.
