Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports had a massive job on his hands when he started at the back of the pack with 75 laps to go yesterday. The rescheduled DuraMAX Drydene 400 at Dover Motor Speedway saw the Tucson, Arizona, native drive through the field to finish in a respectable fifth-place.
The eleventh race of the 2022 season at 'The Monster Mile' in Dover, Delaware saw persistent rain on Sunday, which forced the race to be red flagged. The DuraMAX Drydene 400 eventually got underway at noon on Monday, with 78 of 400 laps already completed.
Bowman was relegated to the back of the pack after a late caution flag during pit stops caused him and Kyle Busch to take a wave around the track. The #48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver had been leading just before the yellow flag came out.
Bowman, however, managed to climb back up the field to finish in fifth place, courtesy of his fresh tires. He spoke to track-side media after the race and elaborated on his day, saying:
"But yeah, just a bummer day for us because obviously we had a shot at the win there in our No. 48 Ally Chevrolet; and then that caution in the middle of the pit cycle had us starting the last run last. To go last to fifth at a place like this is nothing to be ashamed of because it’s hard to pass. As far as my guys and the race car that we brought, just wish it would have gone a little better for us.”
The NASCAR Cup Series has seen its ninth different winner in eleven races so far this year, with Chase Elliott winning at Dover Motor Speedway. Cup Series racing is anything but predictable in 2022.
Alex Bowman content with a top-five finish in the DuraMAX Drydene 400 at Dover Motor Speedway
Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman was not the luckiest person on Monday when the postponed DuraMAX Drydene 400 finally got underway at noon. The 400-mile race saw Bowman fight his way up the field to finish in fifth place.
Bowman was relegated towards the back of the pack when a yellow flag during the pit stop cycle meant he and Kyle Busch had to go all the way around. The 29-year-old driver spoke to Noah Lewis of TSJ Sports after finishing the race, and said:
"Yeah, I mean when you gotta restart last at a place like this with 75 to go its, top-five is like a win."
Watch the full interview below:
Catch Alex Bowman at Darlington Raceway next weekend for the Goodyear 400, trying to get a better result.