“He was an open book”: Alex Bowman shows gratitude to NASCAR GOAT ahead of landmark start 

Alex Bowman, the Hendrick Motorsports star, recently commented on Jimmie Johnson making his 700th Cup Series start at the NASCAR crown jewel, the 2025 Coca-Cola 600. In an interview with ATYL Media, Bowman said that Johnson was like an “open book” as a former Hendrick Motorsports driver and called him a GOAT.

Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, is set for his landmark start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25. This is an emotional milestone for the NASCAR legend as it coincides with the venue where he made his Cup Series debut in 2001.

His Legacy Motor Club car will feature a special tribute paint scheme from sponsor Carvana highlighted by neon yellow numbers reminiscent of his iconic #48 for Hendrick Motorsports. Before the Coca-Cola 600, Jimmie Johnson will also participate in a special pre-race event on the Indy 500 morning where he will chauffeur NFL legend, Tom Brady.

Alex Bowman expressed gratitude towards his former teammate and said:

"Just the human being that he is, like he's such a good person. So fun to be teammates with him as long as I was and I learned a lot from him. He was an open book in every circumstance. I've always really appreciated that. So yeah, excited for him to get a 700th start. That's really cool. Another milestone in the GOATs career, so it's pretty cool."

Alex Bowman is a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver for Hendrick Motorsports, piloting the #48 for the team. He first broke through his maiden Cup win at Chicagoland in 2019 and has since won multiple races including a win at the 2024 Chicago Street Race which notably broke his 80-race winless streak.

Bowman has experienced mixed results through the first third of the 2025 season. As of now, Bowman sits in the eighth spot in the Cup Series standings with two top-five finishes and seven top-ten finishes along with two pole positions.

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Alex Bowman expresses relief over skipped points weekend due to the NASCAR All-Star Race

Alex Bowman expressed his relief and excitement over the break from points racing during the NASCAR All-Star Race weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway. In a recent media session, Bowman said he was “pumped” to focus solely on the All-Star event, which offers a $1 million prize but does not impact the championship standings.

He highlighted the unique opportunity to race without the usual pressure of securing points or playoff eligibility, describing it as a “relief” and noting his fondness for the historic North Wilkesboro track, where he first raced a stock car in 2010. Bowman said:

"I'm pumped that we get to actually focus on the All-Star Race and not have to worry about getting locked in this weekend at North Wilkesboro. It's honestly a relief. I actually ran my first stock car race there in 2010, on the older surface, obviously. It's a cool racetrack with a lot of history. I'm looking forward to getting on track and trying to bring home the $1 million." (via SpeedwayDigest)

Alex Bowman heads into the All-Star weekend with momentum, having secured his second top-five finish of the season at Kansas Speedway on May 11.