“You better cry”: Alex Bowman and Ally racing honor Kevin Hamlin in the ultimate way

NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500
Alex Bowman, driver of the #48 Ally Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 23, 2023 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Alex Bowman had a wholesome surprise for his spotter Kevin Hamlin as he revealed his Darlington throwback livery. The #48 driver surprised Hamlin with a throwback paint scheme dedicated to his racing days.

The paint scheme on the #48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 honors Bowman's long-time friend and spotter Hamlin's racing career. It is a nod to his 2007 NASCAR Xfinity Series ride.

Alex Bowman's primary sponsor Ally shared a video on Twitter where Bowman and Kevin Hamlin had a wholesome interaction as the former revealed the livery. The 30-year-old jokingly asked Hamlin to shed tears of joy as he said, "You better cry."

The startled #48 spotter was emotional at the time as he replied:

"No, I'm going to quit talking, I was going to mention my mom, but I'm going to stop before I start."

Hamlin recalled the time he raced in NASCAR, as he said:

"To me, that paint scheme was a time when I took a leap of faith and bet on myself to follow my dream so to have Alex want to get it back on track is very special to me."

Starting his racing career at a young age, Kevin Hamlin raced on dirt ovals and later moved to Quater Midgets. Hamlin has tasted success in the driver's seat, having been crowned the NASCAR Northwest Series champion in 2001 and 2002. He was also named the most popular driver in the series in 2001 and 2003.

Hamlin made his NASCAR Xfinity debut in 2005 and made 42 starts, scoring two top 10s. He also has six starts to his name in the NASCAR Truck Series made between 2005 and 2007.

In his initial days as a spotter, he worked with Clint Bowyer in the Cup Series from the fall of 2010 through the 2011 season. He worked with Ty Dillon in 2012, before joining working as a full-time spotter for Kasey Kahne.

Alex Bowman and Kevin Hamlin joined forces in 2018 when the former raced in the #88 Chevrolet.


How did Alex Bowman's substitute fare in the Wurth 400 at Dover?

NASCAR Cup Series Würth 400
NASCAR Cup Series Würth 400

After suffering a fractured vertebra in a sprint car crash on April 25, Alex Bowman missed the Wurth 400. Josh Berry came to the rescue for Hendrick Motorsports as he was announced as the replacement for the injured #48 driver.

Berry, who had previously replaced the injured Chase Elliott, had a career-best second-place finish at Richmond. He has continued the strong run of form with a top 10 finish at Dover, this time in the #48 Chevrolet. He finished one place ahead of his HMS teammate Elliott.

With his latest results, the NASCAR Xfinity driver has three top 10s out of six Cup Series starts this year. His consistent form has grabbed the attention of team owners for a full-time seat in 2024.

Alex Bowman was announced to miss three-four weeks of racing action. Berry will fill the role until Bowman makes a return.

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Edited by Aditya Singh