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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 11: Alex Bowman, driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, walks to his car during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 11: Alex Bowman, driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, walks to his car during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
A few weeks ago, Alex Bowman was called a ‘hack’ by Denny Hamlin for spinning him in Martinsville. But recently, the Martinsville race winner found himself on the receiving end of a contact and spin in the 2.4 hours of LeMullets.
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Bowman was driving the No. 48 car and got hit by the No. 7 car from behind. With 14 minutes left, the No.7 car was trying to make a move on the inside when it crashed straight into Bowman’s left rear tire.
This caused a puncture as Bowman spun around at Turn 2.
The 2.4 hours of LeMullets saw a lot of notable names on the grid. Along with Alex Bowman, Parker Kligerman, Hailie Deegan, Diesel Dave, David Freiburger and Kurt Busch were on the track. In fact, it was Kurt Busch who took the win at the 2.4 hours of LeMullets as he prepares for his move to 23XI Racing in 2022.
But another story from the night was Alex Bowman’s car, regardless of the state of his tires.
Alex Bowman is a ‘hack’ and he’s proud of it
For the LeMullets race, Alex Bowman made sure that his fans (and others) don’t forget that he’s a ‘hack’. The Hendrick driver spray-painted the words ‘H-A-C-K’ on the back of his windshield.
Fills me with a lot of joy to see Alex Bowman put “HACK” on his 2.4 hr LeMullets car. I saw the first event Cleetus tried in 2020 and they’ve come a long way since. Nice win for Kurt Busch last night. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/bTQNDPvFRO
— Matthew Burroughs (@MJBurroughs) November 20, 2021
This is yet another example of Bowman embracing the criticism that came after his win in Martinsville.
In Martinsville, Bowman had made contact with the race leader, Denny Hamlin, which led the Joe Gibbs driver spinning. Crucially, a 24th place finish ensured his place in the Last 4. But Hamlin was nevertheless annoyed with Bowman, who went on to win the race.
Hamlin called Alex Bowman, ‘an absolute hack’ in a post-race rant. However, Bowman took the insult and made a joke out of it.
The Hendrick driver used the keyword as a T-shirt slogan, with proceeds going for a charitable cause. He even got support from his boss Rick Hendrick, who said, “If he’s a hack, I’d like to have more of him.”
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LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE – AUGUST 02: Alex Bowman, driver of the #88 ChevyGoods.com/Adam’s Polishes Chevrolet, prepares for the NASCAR Cup Series Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on August 02, 2020 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
What lies ahead
The off-season is a time where NASCAR drivers like to recharge their batteries and hone their racing skills in lesser-known competitions.
In a team with two Cup Series champions, the bar for Alex Bowman is undoubtedly high. Bowman won four races in 2021, twice as many as Chase Elliott. But he finished in 14th, behind all his Hendrick teammates.
So, in 2022, Bowman would like to at least prove he can not only win races but finish consistently high on the grid, which he is more than capable of.
Also Read: ‘The Hack’ Alex Bowman Enters 2022 Chili Bowl Competition
