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NASCAR analyst Daniel DiOrio feels that Alex Bowman is in a pressure-free zone at Hendrick Motorsports despite his teammates' success this season compared to his winless progression.
Alex Bowman has not won a race since Las Vegas in 2022 while his teammates at Hendrick Motorsports have all won races this season. Despite his poor performance, NASCAR analyst Daniel DiOrio feels that Bowman is not under much pressure because of his major fan following and the financial advantages he brings to the team.
DiOrio said on the Rubbin is Racing podcast:
"I think his [Bowman's] job is way safer than people like myself would like to believe. He brings in a lot of money, he was pretty much handpicked by Jimmie to fill the 48, allies stuck with him they're sticking with him now." [23:10]
He further stated that Alex Bowman's fanbase is extremely strong and that they are ready to defend the driver if anything is mentioned against him.
"I don't think his seat is as hot also he's the number one guy and maybe this is justified. Maybe it's unfounded like people defend him like he is like a five-time Daytona 500 Champion or like you know I like you say one negative thing about him and people are quick to defend him," he said.
Racing for almost a decade, Bowman has won seven races so far and his best season finish came in 2020 when he finished in sixth place. When compared to his teammates, Bowman is the least successful.
Reflecting on the competition that he has faced, Bowman stated early in the season that NASCAR poses a tough challenge for drivers.
Alex Bowman on NASCAR's increasing competition - "This sport kicks your teeth"
Bowman's performance was satisfactory early in his career at Hendrick Motorsports. He qualified for the playoffs regularly and had consistent performances. However, after the 2023 season, his form fell off after a back injury that kept him out of action for some time.
Post that, his performance evidently took a hit for the rest of the season. Addressing the competition that drivers face in NASCAR, he told heavy.com early in the season:
"Yeah, this sport kicks your teeth in for the most part, more often than not. So I think that’s been something that I’ve had to figure out. 2019, 2020, 2021 into the beginning of 2022, we were kind of winning a little bit regularly at least."
Alex Bowman started the 2024 campaign with a second-place finish at Daytona, while his teammate William Byron took the victory. He had two consecutive fourth-place finishes in Bristol and COTA. He currently stands fourteenth in the championship.
