Alex Bowman shows continued strength with top-10 at Dover

DOVER, Del. — Alex Bowman did his part to uphold the season-long standard of Hendrick Motorsports vs. Joe Gibbs Racing in 2024.

Bowman finished eighth at Dover Motor Speedway Coming into Sunday, Bowman came in at +1400 odds to take home the checkered flag, tied for eighth-highest odds with Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott.

He qualified ninth Saturday at the Monster Mile, a track where he’s won once before in the Cup Series alongside five top-fives and a top-10. 

He showed solid pace all day, placing eighth in the first stage and appearing to have the best car in Stage 2 before placing second.

A shove from Denny Hamlin on pit road ultimately meant his 72-race winless streak continued Sunday.

Still, Bowman has four Top-5 finishes and six Top-10 finishes. He is also up to ninth in points, +39 points to the playoff cutline.

In every season of the NextGen car, Bowman has recorded back-to-back top-10s at least twice in the first 11 races. He has more Top-10s in the last seven races than he did after his return in 2023.

Bowman currently sits ninth in the points standings. He sits +39 points to Bubba Wallace, who sits 15th and is the first driver below the cutline. Bowman is also 108 points behind leader and teammate Kyle Larson. 

All of this is important as many fans thought Bowman’s ride might’ve been on the line heading into this season.

Upcoming tracks have been alright to Bowman throughout the years. He has three Top-5 finishes in 16 starts at Kansas. Meanwhile, he has a Top-5 finish in 12 races at Darlington.

Maybe the newfound momentum is just what the No. 48 team needs to return to victory lane?

The NASCAR Cup Series now turns its attention to the AdventHealth 400. It is set to go green from Kansas Speedway next Sunday at 3 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Last year, the race was a thriller. It featured 37 lead changes, including a last-lap pass Denny Hamlin made on Kyle Larson for the win.