HMS star Alex Bowman downplays 'offseason reset' after 'bummer' 2024 playoff exit: "We showed we can run as well as anybody"

Alex Bowman recently expressed his thoughts on the requirement of an offseason reset after an unfortunate 2024 playoff exit. The Hendrick Motorsports star Bowman punched his ticket for the 2024 Round of 8 but was disqualified from the 2024 Bank of America Roval 400 race after failing a post-race inspection.

In a conversation with Kevin Harvick on his special episode of Harvick's Happy Hour podcast, Bowman was asked if the No. 48 Chevy team wanted to recalibrate after the playoff setback. To which the 31-year-old replied:

"It was a bummer to go out that way but this off-season really it's been a bit of a reset for us but I'm not sure we really needed it like we're in a good spot." [6:15 onwards]

Furthermore, the eight-time Cup race winner emphasized the Chevy team's momentum for last year's second half. He added:

"I think we're going to continue to be in a really good spot with the 48 team we have a good group of guys. Couple changes here and there there but I'm looking forward to the season. I think you know with the momentum we had at the end of the year we showed we can run as well as anybody and there's no reason we can't go out and get the job done this year."

Moreover, Alex Bowman unwantedly became a catalyst for the eventual 2024 Cup Series champion Joey Logano, as the latter occupied the HMS star's empty spot for the next round of the playoffs.

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"I hate that we gave them the opportunity": Alex Bowman opens up on Joey Logano's 2024 Championship

NASCAR: Ally 400 Qualifying - Source: Imagn

After NASCAR disqualified Alex Bowman from the 2024 playoffs, Joey Logano was next in line to qualify on points for the next round. This played a strong part in helping the Team Penske driver lift his third Cup Series championship title.

During last month's interview with the Associated Press, Bowman reflected on his unexpected exit from the 2024 championship run because of not being able to match the No. 48 Chevy's minimum weight post-race.

"It wasn’t anything that I had any control over,” Bowman said. "There was nothing anybody could do about it. There’s no way to change it. All we really could do was move on and keep digging. It would have been nice to not have that happen, obviously."

The Arizona native also didn't shy away from acknowledging the opportunity presented to Logano by the HMS team. Bowman added:

"From different perspectives, it probably makes it worse. "I hate that we gave them that opportunity, but we did, and they obviously capitalized on it and did what they needed to do."

Nevertheless, Alex Bowman continued last year's momentum in the first race of the season at the Daytona 500 with a P6 finish. Moreover, with the third race weekend underway, he would look to tame the road course race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.