"P8 here is pretty bad for me" - Alex Bowman's consistency climbs but Dover finish leaves room for growth

Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) driver Alex Bowman's race at Dover International Speedway could have been the perfect opportunity for him to end his winless drought for over two years.

The #48 Chevy driver for HMS started the race in 9th place and ended up crossing the checkered in 8th place at the Wurth 400 this Sunday (April 28). Bowman's Chevy was also the fastest car during the race, especially around the final laps of Stage 2 where he finished second, just behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson.

In a post-race interview (via NASCAR FOX), the reporter asked Bowman:

"So it looked like this 48 car was extremely fast. Was it just all track position at the end?"

The 31-year-old responded by saying:

'Yeah, I mean both front fenders are broke to from the deal on pit road. So I'm sure that didn't help anything. But yeah, we were really fast in the middle segment of the race just probably a little too tied to the top like I just I couldn't rotate the bottom like I wanted to but I was too free on entry to really free the car up. So I could make a lot of pace up top. It just hurt the tires pretty bad."

The incredible race also witnessed Bowman's Hendrick teammates, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott finishing in the top five, despite starting the race outside the top 20. Later on, Bowman who hails from Tucson, Arizona, added more to the conversation:

"But all in all okay day for our ally, 48 team eighth here is. It's pretty bad for me, but I mean it's it's still a good point and a step in the right direction a little more consistency than we've seen so hopefully we can keep plugging away at it," said Bowman.

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Alex Bowman's HMS teammates' dominant performance at Dover

The full-time driver of the #48 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports showcased another consistent performance this 2024 season. He has four top-five and six top-ten finishes after 11 races in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Although the drivers of Hendrick Motorsports couldn't manage to secure a win at Dover, they dominated the standings post-race. #5 driver Kyle Larson led 39 laps throughout the race but he ended up finishing second behind Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin. The #9 driver for HMS, Chase Elliott, finished Stage 2 in 5th place and maintained the same spot till the checkered flag.

Only the #24 driver for HMS, William Byron, was pitted mid-race and got himself a DNF.

Currently, all four drivers of Rick Hendrick's team sit in the top 10 overall Cup Series standings. Kyle Larson at P1, Chase Elliott at P3, William Byron at P6 and Alex Bowman at P9.