CONCORD, NC: For much of Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway it appeared Alex Bowman would be on the sidelines for the remainder of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, but strategy and a flawless drive in the closing laps of the race propelled the Hendrick Motorsports driver to a second-place finish and his championship run alive.
It wasn’t easy though.
In the final seconds of Cup Series practice on Saturday, Bowman wiped out his primary car in the No. 88 Nationwide Retirement Plans Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 forcing his team to pull out the backup car without any practice or any laps around the 2.28-mile ROVAL.
Bowman’s drive to the front didn’t come without luck, strategy and well, a little bit of controversy.
On the opening lap of the race, Bowman missed the backstretch chicane and had to pit for tires. After being initially cleared by NASCAR of any-wrong doing, the sanctioning body elected to penalize Bowman for the first lap shenanigan.
Surviving a drive-thru penalty, Bowman kept himself on the lead lap and in contention.
However, on Lap 42, Bowman was battling with Darrell Wallace Jr., with Bowman putting the pressure on to pass the Richard Petty Motorsports driver. Frustrated about the way he was being raced; Wallace Jr. gave the middle finger to Bowman at different spots on the race track. Having enough of the pace, Bowman spun the No. 43 in Turn 12 and Wallace hitting the outside wall.
Both drivers continued.
Following the confrontation and with the pressure to make it to the Round of 12, Bowman used a series of late-race cautions and a well-balanced No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet over the final 21 laps to make his mark.
At Lap 88, he sat 13th. By Lap 92, he was eighth. Following a red flag with six laps remaining, Bowman restarted sixth but used a fast race car and even some of his bumper to make his charge past Brad Keselowski, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick to rise to second.
With Hendrick Motorsports team Chase Elliott already stretched out to a commanding lead, Bowman had hoped that Playoff contender Ryan Newman who was in a position to knock him out of the championship would encounter an issue that would keep the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing team at bay. With two laps to go Newman missed the backstretch chicane and further encountered a penalty that sealed Bowman’s placement into the Round of 12.
Wallace showed his displeasure at the end of the race by walking over to Bowman who was sitting on the ground being treated by medical officials for overheating when the two drivers exchanged words with Wallace throwing his drink in Bowman’s face and walking away.
Bowman was later taken to the infield care center to be treated for overheating.
“I probably shouldn’t repeat what he said to me,” said Bowman after being released from the infield care center. “Nothing classy by any means.
“Yeah, I don’t know if he was mad about the first lap, or what, but obviously that was just a mistake. And then I got flipped off every single straightaway on the entire race track for three laps. I got flipped off by him for like three or four laps in a row at Richmond, so I’m just over it.”
As for how he felt, Bowman said, “I was just really sick Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; I felt a little bit better today. But I was just really behind on being hydrated and just kind of exhausted. I was tired and everything was real tingly, which is not a great feeling inside a race car.
“I mean probably about lap 10 of the race, I was pretty done and out of it just from a physical standpoint,” he added. “I just tried to keep digging and obviously, I tried to give it away on lap 1. As soon as I touched the brake pedal it started wheel-hopping and turned around on me. I apologize to those that got collected in that.
“I feel like I hurt myself more than anybody on that one. But I’m glad we were able to rebound, and the guys obviously gave me a really strong car to get back through the field. There at the end, cautions were rough. Under green, it is what it is. But under caution, when you actually have time to think about how you feel, it’s not much fun.
“I got some fluids (though) and I’m definitely feeling better. We’ll be good to go in Dover.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
