Alex Bowman gives an unfiltered response when asked about how Chicago race might have rescued his HMS future

Alex Bowman shared his thoughts on how last year's Chicago street race win might've impacted his place at Hendrick Motorsports. While the seat has always been for Bowman, the win allowed him to lock himself into the playoffs and end the season strong.

Essentially, Bowman, 32, turned down the rumors suggesting he was supposed to be out of the #48 Chevrolet, but the Chicago win rescued his future with the team. Jeff Gordon, HMS vice chairman, even reassured in March that the team fully supports the eight-time Cup race winner.

In a press release, Alex Bowman, who is entering the upcoming Grant Park 165 as the reigning race winner, highlighted the importance of finishing last season on a high note amid rumors regarding his future.

“Yeah, I mean, I think there was a lot of rumors started by people that maybe don't really know what they're talking about in a sense, but at the same time, you know, I think it was really important to make the playoffs and to finish the year strong, right?” Bowman said.

While the Arizona native bounced out of the Round of 12 due to failing the post-race inspection, he still argued the #48 team had a strong season. He had a slow start to this year, but he has been producing good results in recent races.

“Had a rough two months there, but the last couple of weeks have been good for us, and things are pointing in the right direction. So yeah, I think it was just important for the team, and it was definitely a good day for us,” he concluded.

Alex Bowman driving the #48 Chevrolet on the streets of Chicago - Source: Imagn

In the upcoming Chicago street race, Alex Bowman is starting in the sixth row alongside defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, who took over his playoff spot following his DQ last year. His 11th-place starting position is also the best qualifying effort among HMS drivers, though Chase Elliott and William Byron didn't put down qualifying lap times due to car damage.

The green flag for the Grant Park 165 will be waved on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET. Bowman is also pitted against Bubba Wallace in the second round of the In-Season Challenge after beating Logano at EchoPark Speedway last week.

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“It's just different than what we normally do”: Alex Bowman explains why Chicago street race weekend is fun

Alex Bowman argued that the Chicago street race is a fun event because it is different from the usual. The venue allows fans to walk in and out of the street course, allowing more interaction than staying in motorhomes in traditional racetracks.

“This is a super fun event [...] I think it's just different than what we normally do. Obviously, the racetrack's different, but the event's also much different for us. We're all used to staying in buses and motor homes in the infield of the racetrack, not really going anywhere throughout the course of the weekend,” the #48 Hendrick Motorsports driver said (via a press release).

The Chicago street race was introduced in 2023, with Shane van Gisbergen taking the honors as the event's first Cup race winner. Bowman followed it up after taking the checkered flag in a shortened race due to impending darkness.