Darlington Raceway has been a track haunted by unfortunate memories for Rick Hendrick and his team. In 2021, Chase Elliott and William Byron experienced wrecks and crashes at this venue. Adding to the list, Kyle Larson found himself involved in a wreck with Ross Chastain during this season as well. Each of these drivers was desperately seeking a clean and successful finish. Yet, in a cruel twist of fate, Darlington Raceway continued to cast its shadow.

This time, Alex Bowman was at the center. The crash was triggered by Ross Chastain‘s teammate, Daniel Suarez. Controversy surrounded the incident, casting doubt on both drivers’ actions. After the crash, the driver from Rick Hendrick’s team was left speechless, with radio communication reduced to just a single word.

Rick Hendrick’s driver falls into the web of dark memories

Darlington Raceway holds a special place in the hearts of many drivers, as it’s where they realize the astonishing speeds of stock cars on a 1.3-mile track. The track’s peculiar history earned it the nickname “The Lady in Black” due to the tradition of sealing the asphalt with fresh sealant the night before races.

It’s also infamous as “The Track Too Tough to Tame,” where drivers can go laps without an issue, only to unexpectedly brush against the unforgiving walls the next. In the latest chapter of Darlington’s tough reputation, both Alex Bowman and Daniel Suarez fell victim to its challenges.

Earlier, Alex Bowman attempted to defend his position against Ross Chastain, but eventually, Chastain managed to make a successful pass. After a few laps, a similar situation unfolded with Daniel Suarez, who was showing good speed and momentum. He tried to overtake Bowman, who blocked his moves multiple times.

Tragically, this series of blocks resulted in both drivers losing control and slamming hard into the wall, perpetuating the somber legacy of Rick Hendrick’s team at Darlington. Alex Bowman’s crew chief promptly checked on his driver and requested updates over the radio. Bowman, however, could only muster one word to describe the situation: “Killed.”

The frustration boiled over, with Daniel Suarez screaming on the radio, expressing his exasperation: “You block once, man. You cannot block three times.”

Indeed, the drama didn’t end there. Daniel Suarez, still reeling from the wreck and the contentious on-track encounters, continued to express his frustration.

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Daniel Suarez expressed his disappointment against the driver of Rick Hendrick

After the crash, questions naturally arose regarding Alex Bowman’s blocking tactics. In an interview with Frontstretch, Daniel Suarez made it clear that he was far from pleased with Bowman’s actions on the track. He blamed Bowman for potentially ruining his team’s otherwise promising day and labeled Bowman’s moves as “dumb.” Interestingly, Suarez revealed that he had an opportunity to put Bowman into the wall but chose not to.

On the other side of the story, during an interview, Alex Bowman defended his blocking as a legitimate part of racing. He pointed out that #99 had also employed similar tactics against him.

This incident certainly made for a challenging day for Alex Bowman and his team, especially considering they had been a lap down earlier in the race but managed to claw their way back into contention, only to have it all derailed by the wreck.

Well, blocking in racing can indeed be a fine line between legitimate defensive maneuvers and actions that lead to accidents. What do you think? Who was at fault?

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