DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Alex Bowman didn’t have much help in Sunday’s rain-postponed Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway, but in the end it didn’t matter for the Hendrick Motorsports driver who finished an impressive third.
Bowman who earned a spot in The Clash with a pole last fall at Phoenix International Raceway fought through contact between Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski to find himself in a battle for the runner-up spot, as Joey Logano escaped the chaos and won the 75-lap event.
Despite finishing third, Bowman wasn’t all that excited about his performance.
“It was frustrating. We kind of struggled all day, a little bit,” said Bowman “We couldn’t get the track position we needed. To come home third is solid, and not bad by any means. We will learn from it and hopefully give Greg (Ives, crew chief) and Dale (Earnhardt, Jr.) some information for the Daytona 500. It is a day race. I am just happy to be a part of the Clash.
“It wasn’t a bad day by any means. It was all we could hope for. To come home third is really gold. Just thankful for the opportunity to drive this thing. Had a lot of fast Chevrolet’s out there for Hendrick these 12 races. Just very thankful for the opportunity.”
Afterwards, 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch paid a visit to the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet looking for Bowman’s reason on why he chose to race him, instead of lining up in a tight draft and attempt to catch Logano and pass him before the start / finish line.
“It’s easy; hindsight is 20/20, right? It’s hard to see,” Bowman explained. “I was on the top with all that stuff happened getting into Turn 1 and I didn’t know the No. 22 (Joey Logano) was out there by himself. So, he’s probably right. We probably could have caught the No. 22 and had a shot to win it, but at the same time, he didn’t work with me much all day, either.
“A lot of guys hung us out every chance they got. So, to come home third shows what a great race car Hendrick Motorsports brings to the track. I’ve got to thank all the guys for letting me do this; and Dale Earnhardt Jr. It means a lot to have driven this car for Team Hendrick I think for 11 or 12 races now, whatever it was. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve made a lot of memories. I hope to do it again someday.”
With each opportunity, Bowman seems to sure make the best of it. But, what’s on the horizon for the Tucson, Arizona native?
Not much, at least that’s how it appears for now.
But, at just 23-years-old, Bowman doesn’t have to hit the panic button just yet, after all, he still has time on his side.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
