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Ahead of this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, Alex Bowman and Hendrick Motorsport announced a new livery for the #48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
With an increasing amount of inclusion and focus on other sports outside of racing, such as basketball and baseball, NASCAR teams have been trying to tie in the average sports fan with the racing world.
Introduced as a successful move by 23XI Racing, whose partnership with modern-day sports culture and trends came via its co-owner, Michael Jordan, the team has successfully showcased the potential available to teams outside the sport. The Upcoming Firekeepers Casino 400 will see Alex Bowman's #48 Chevy make use of just that.
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Draped in the colors of a 3-time NBA champion team, the Hendrick Motorsports entry will see the Detroit Pistons feature on the car in Michigan. The team clinched its most recent championship in 2004 and has players such as Jaden Ivey and James Wiseman playing for it.
NASCAR fans reacted in a positive manner to the sport's newest partnership with an NBA team and to Alex Bowman's car on Twitter.
Here are some of the best reactions:
"Really cool to see more teams doing this lately, not a fan of Bowman but a cool scheme and partnership all the same"
"Can we get the Pistons to do a Bowman fire suit night?"
"This paint scheme reminds me of a Volkswagen Beetle that won in Auto Club"
"Please make this as a diecast @Lionel_Racing I beg of you!!"
"That's awesome. Still need Brad to do the Lions car though."
"I would have cried as a kid seeing Jimmy Johnson drive this"
"Grew up as a Detroit Pistons Fan this is Nice!"
Alex Bowman on improving one area of the Next Gen Cup car
In a recent promotional video for his primary sponsor in the Cup Series, Alex Bowman answered what his go-to changes for the seventh generation of Cup cars would be.
Dubbed the 'Next Gen' cars, the newer machines with more downforce and robust bodies have been seen racing for the second year this season.
Alex Bowman, however, would like the newer cars to make it easier for him to get in and out of them.
He elaborated in a clip by Ally Racing and said:
"For me, I fit in it (Gen 6 car) better. I could see the dash(board) better, I could get in and out of it easier. The Gen 7 car is much harder for me to get in and out of."
Watch the #48 Chevrolet Camaro Z1 driver race this weekend with his new paint scheme at Michigan International Speedway.
