"I think I proved that I could do it," says Earnhardt sub Alex Bowman
Alex Bowman’s 26th-place finish in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in no way captures everything he gained from filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Action Sports Photography
Bowman had worked his way into the Top 10 late in the race when a cut left-rear tire sent him into the Turn 1 wall on Lap 273 of 301. He was able to continue after extensive repairs on pit road and was the last car on the lead lap at the finish.
Bowman, who drives a partial schedule in the Xfinity Series with Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports team, has competed in the Cup series previously, but this race in Hendrick Motorsports equipment offered him an excellent chance to put his talent on display.
A bittersweet day
When doctors told Earnhardt he should sit out this weekend while suffering “concussion-like symptoms,” HMS tapped the 23-year-old as his replacement.
“There’s a lot of disappointment, but at the same time, for two years I’ve wondered if I could do this at the Cup level and today I think I proved that I can,” Bowman told Motorsport.com. “I was thankful to get the call from the guys at Hendrick Motorsports and Mr. (Rick) Hendrick to let me jump in.
“I hated the circumstances but I think I proved that I could do it.”
Bowman struggled some in practice on Friday and qualified 20th. He spoke with Earnhardt on Friday night for some pre-race advice and it all seemed to pay off in Sunday’s race.
“This is the first time I’ve consistently run in the Top 10 in a Cup car,” he said. “We made a lot of progress this weekend. This is by far my worst race track. To come here and run that well with these guys just shows what a great piece they bring to the race track.”
Easy to work with
Bowman said crew chief Greg Ives and the team were “especially welcoming” to him.
“I have a lot of friends on the No. 88 crew, so it was being a part of a big family,” Bowman said. “I don’t think I’ve gotten out of a Cup car with a smile on my face for a while.
“It’s just so much fun to be able to run up front like that. I’ve raced around those guys for like two or three years now but I’ve never been able to race with them. Today I was finally able to do that.”
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