Rick Hendrick’s top official backs Alex Bowman's playoff chances with a bold statement: “I think we got opportunities”

Chad Knaus, the Hendrick Motorsports Vice President of competition, is confident that Alex Bowman will win a race before the end of the regular season and qualify for the NASCAR playoffs. In a recent interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Knaus backed the driver ahead of the upcoming Chicago race.

Knaus, one of Rick Hendrick's top officials, backed Bowman, one of the leading Hendrick Motorsports drivers. Knaus' support for the #48 driver comes at a time when three of his teammates have already qualified for the playoffs.

William Byron won the inaugural race, the Daytona 500, while Kyle Larson won three races at Homestead-Miami, Bristol, and Kansas. Chase Elliott is the latest name in the lot, who won last weekend's Atlanta race.

With three out of four HMS drivers qualifying for the playoffs, Bowman could follow suit. Speaking about this, Knaus reflected on how the #48 driver performed at Kansas, Michigan, and Mexico.

"They're close," Knaus said about Bowman's #48 team via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "The 48 car does amazing things despite not always qualifying well. At Kansas, they started 28th but showed great speed. Blake and Alex are gelling well. Alex took a hit in Michigan but still ran up front in Mexico, showing dedication."

"They have great pit stops, and Blake's unique strategies keep them competitive. They won Chicago last year with top-5 speed. Sonoma and Brickyard are strong tracks for them. I think they have opportunities," Chad Knaus added.

Alex Bowman is in 12th place in the drivers' championship with 444 points after 18 races. He has four top-fives, nine top-10s, and two poles to his name. Bowman led a total of 157 laps, and his average start position has been 17.222, and his average finish position has been 17.889.

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Alex Bowman reflects on his Chicago victory from last year: "Getting back to victory lane was special"

Alex Bowman (48) reacts after winning the Grant Park 165 at Chicago Street Race - Source: Imagn

During the Chicago Street Race in July last year, Alex Bowman snapped the 80-race winless streak as the Hendrick Motorsports driver claimed the much-needed victory. A year later, as NASCAR moves to the same track, Bowman shared his thoughts as he takes a trip down memory lane.

"Getting back to victory lane was special for me,” Bowman told the Sun-Times. “But honestly, just the atmosphere of the whole event has been my favorite part of it. The fan engagement, walking to the track and seeing everybody, the concert on Saturday and everything that goes into that — it’s just a cool atmosphere.”

Alex Bowman is currently on a 34-race winless streak, having not won any race since last year's Chicago victory.