Alex Bowman accuses Kyle Busch’s RCR teammate of ‘race manipulation’ at Richmond

Post-race, Alex Bowman expressed his frustration with Kyle Busch’s Richard Childress Racing teammate following the closing laps at Richmond Raceway. Jeff Gluck shared the radio chatter statement in which Bowman directly accuses Jesse Love of blocking him, calling it “race manipulation.”

The statement was shared by NASCAR reporter Jeff Gluck, who posted Bowman’s in-race comment for fans to read on X. Another X post came from Peter Strarra, who uploaded a clip of Bowman’s post-race interview with the caption:

“Runner-up tonight @Alex_Bowman calls next week from @DAYTONA a must-win race. #Cookout400 #NASCAR.”

In the radio recording, Alex Bowman could be heard venting his frustration as he tried to close in on Austin Dillon for the win. At one point, Bowman said:

“His teammate is f***** blocking me now. This is race manipulation.”

Jeff Gluck

@jeff_gluck

"His teammate is fucking blocking me now. This is race manipulation." -- Bowman

The footage also included Bowman admitting after the race that he had simply been venting. He explained that sometimes hitting the radio button was a way to let out frustration.

“Well 33 was really fast, then stopped right in front of me... I was really frustrated on the radio and sometimes I just push the talk button, just lets you vent a little bit. I think we just needed to be better,” he said.

Alex Bowman left Richmond Raceway feeling like circumstances had cost him a season-changing win. He finished second behind Austin Dillon but believed his car was strong enough to win if not for slower traffic and interference. In the final laps, Bowman had to fight through several lapped cars. One of them was Shane van Gisbergen, who was running in 14th but proved difficult to pass.

“They’re not gonna help us,” Bowman said over the radio, as quoted by motorsports.com. “They hate us.”

Bowman’s frustration grew when Jesse Love, Austin Dillon’s teammate at RCR, got in his way. That was when Bowman delivered the words shared by Gluck.

Bowman also expressed disappointment that he was not getting any support from other Chevrolet drivers.

“Why is it so hard with Team Chevrolet? Never ask for a single f***** thing,” his team lamented on the radio.

In his post-race interview, as shared via motorsports.com, Bowman said that having some cooperation on track would have made a big difference in his chase for the win. He explained that heavy traffic forced him to overuse his tires, leaving him unable to properly challenge Austin Dillon in the final laps despite believing his car was stronger.

Alex Bowman acknowledged that his heated radio messages were more about releasing frustration than anything else, noting that venting is a common part of racing communication. He also pointed out that Hendrick Motorsports is not the most popular team in the garage, though he praised his crew for continuing to perform at a high level under pressure.

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Spotter prank confused Alex Bowman before the Richmond start

Before the Cook Out 400 even began, Alex Bowman faced a surprising moment when his spotter, Kevin, and Denny Hamlin played a prank on him. Bowman had qualified ninth but was briefly delayed on the grid when NASCAR asked his crew to fix an issue with the passenger-side window of the No. 48 Chevrolet.

While the repair was being made, Alex Bowman’s car was rolled back to the garage area. NASCAR reporter Colin Ward shared the scene on X, noting that nearly every car was on the grid while a Bowman crew member sprinted back to the hauler.

Hamlin used the delay to joke with his driver. According to Jeff Gluck, who posted the radio exchange on X, Hamlin told Bowman:

“We’ve got to go to the back for delaying the start.”

Bowman quickly asked:

“Are you kidding me?”

Hamlin then admitted:

“Yeah, I’m f***** with you. All good.”

The prank even fooled NBC’s broadcast team, who reported that Bowman would have to start from the rear. In reality, he lined up from his original ninth-place qualifying spot on the fifth row.

The Richmond race was Alex Bowman’s second straight top-10 start. With only Daytona left in the regular season, his battle with Chris Buescher for the playoff bubble is ongoing.