LAS VEGAS — Alex Bowman faced an extremely challenging week after leaving the Charlotte Motor Speedway a couple of weeks back, celebrating alongside teammates at Hendrick Motorsports for securing four out of eight spots in the NASCAR semifinal playoffs.
However, things took a turn for the worse when his car was disqualified for not meeting the minimum weight requirements. This disheartening news reached Bowman through a social media notification he stumbled upon while relaxing at home in North Carolina.
In a fit of frustration, he tossed his phone into the pool, which sparked an emergency alert to 911, as the phone’s settings indicated he was in danger. The disqualification ultimately resulted in a loss of 20 points, knocking Bowman out of the playoff contention just as he was eagerly aiming to compete in the championship race at the Phoenix Raceway next month.
In a twist of fate, the final playoff position went to two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano, who had earlier believed he was out of the running for another title.
Things only continued to deteriorate for Bowman when he found that the window of his passenger vehicle was broken, and there was a leak in his roof that required repairs. “It couldn’t happen to anybody else that way. Just a part of life,” Bowman reflected on his misfortunes. The driver worked hard to ascend through the ranks in order to take over the iconic No. 48 Chevrolet, once driven by Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson.
Despite having secured a playoff spot, Bowman has faced skepticism regarding his position. For the past two months, he has had to continuously justify his presence on the team, reminding others that he is under a contract to return to Hendrick in 2025 with full support from sponsor Ally.
After Bowman’s disqualification, Andrea Brimmer, Ally’s chief marketing officer, expressed her disappointment, stating that she felt “gutted” for Bowman and the team, emphasizing that they have worked diligently for every point this year and deserved to advance.
During the weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bowman was a spectator as his teammates, William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson, pursued the championship. Though he achieved a respectable fifth-place finish—one position behind Byron—the situation was overshadowed when Logano won the race.
Incredibly, the driver who had left Charlotte thinking his playoff chances were over became the first competitor to qualify for the Nov. 10 title tilt. As one of only two active champions in NASCAR, Logano aims to surpass Kyle Busch as the sole three-time reigning Cup champion.
While Logano was at home with his family in North Carolina, he received the news of Bowman’s difficulties with his car, prompting him to celebrate his unexpected good fortune from victory lane in Las Vegas.
Reflecting on the drastic shift in circumstances, he recounted his excitement: “You’re not going to believe this (expletive). Here we are a week later.” With aspirations set for the upcoming race in Phoenix, Logano expressed his eagerness for the championship showdown.
As NASCAR gears up for the next stages at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Martinsville Speedway in Virginia to finalize the three championship contenders, Logano, dubbed “Even Year Logano” because his first two titles came in 2018 and 2022, looks forward to working with Team Penske and his crew at No. 22, focusing exclusively on the title race ahead.
“Our focus now moves forward to Phoenix. The next two weeks don’t really matter,” Logano noted. “It’s the advantage that we earned. We know what that advantage is worth. Our focus starting Monday will be on Phoenix, job to finish.”
Bowman, on the other hand, finds himself uncertain about how to approach the last three weeks of the season. He remarked, “It’s one of those that’s probably going to sting for a while, and depending on how the rest of the season goes, it will probably determine how quickly I do or don’t get over it.” Bowman understands that certain life events are tough to let go of but emphasized the importance of moving forward and persevering through challenges.