2023 was a painful year for Alex Bowman. The 30-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver had to endure an excruciating vertebra injury after a violent sprint car crash in Iowa last year, that eventually spoiled his Cup Series run. However, this year the driver made sure not to repeat the same mistake as he embarked on a different journey. While fans didn’t get to see the driver race at the 2024 Chili Bowl, the driver has taken on a more responsible role on the track, which comes with its own set of challenges.

Present as team owner and crew chief for his team, Alex Bowman Racing, the #48 Camaro driver, recently divulged details about the hardships he has faced as an owner, in a conversation with Matt Weaver. After Kevin Thomas Jr’s worrying contact with a parked car in Tuesday’s heat race, Bowman recalled the catastrophic night at the Chili Bowl a year ago.

Alex Bowman claimed his team was lucky not to have suffered as much as last year

The 2023 edition of the Chili Bowl Nationals saw three Alex Bowman Racing cars flip throughout the week of dirt racing. Due to the crashes, all three drivers, Bowman, CJ Leary, and Jake Swanson, missed the weekend’s feature race. Fast forward to 2024, and Bowman was happy not to experience a repeat of the same after Kevin Thomas Jr’s wreck gave him a scare on Tuesday.

After heavy contact with a spun Midget Car, Thomas Jr’s vehicle suffered extensive damage with deformed fenders on the front of it. However, the team bounced back from it and put the car back into the race. Thomas Jr eventually finished 8th and qualified for the B-Feature race on Saturday. Regarding how the crash put the team in a state of bother, Alex Bowman revealed, “We got lucky in a sense, right?”

“Kevin hit that parked car wide open, but he hit them with just the frame. So, it bent the frame really bad but everything else was okay. We were able to continue to the qualifier and salvage the night with a bad race car, so I think Kevin was a lot better than 8th last night. But it is way better than flying two cars through the air in one night like we did last year.“

Bowman’s second racer this year, Jake Swanson also salvaged some pride for Alex Bowman after finishing second in his respective qualifying race and locking in for Saturday’s main event. After battling for the win against youngster Corey Day for most of the race, Swanson eventually finished in P2 and rounded up a solid effort. Based on the result, Bowman hopes it reflects on Friday night’s attempt by CJ Leary.

“We can get through tomorrow night,” stated Alex Bowman. “Honestly, CJ and I are very close. We put a lot of pressure on each other, so tomorrow’s probably the high-stress situation for me, so I’m excited for it. It’s my first year making all the calls, so it’s pretty stressful, but it’s also pretty rewarding.“

Continuing the interview, Bowman also explained the difficulties of making cars according to the drivers’ needs and the chances of his team taking the crown at Tulsa.

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Bowman believes his team still has a long way to go before a Golden Driller win

For Alex Bowman, Cup Series racing is the top priority. After a severe injury during his extra-curricular adventures with Sprint Cars, he has taken a cautious step to opt out of dirt racing. However, this isn’t his first time in a non-driver role at the Chili Bowl, either. Captaining Alex Bowman Racing has preoccupied his mind so much that he has had no time to worry about missing a chance to race at the Chili Bowl.

Speaking about the same, Bowman claimed, “There’s been a couple of years where I didn’t drive here. This is the first year that it’s like I’m making every call. I’m the captain now, so it is stressful. That stress takes all the FOMO away. It’s been fun for sure.”

The owner further talked about his drivers and explained the process behind the customization of their vehicles. “It’s hard to get right when there are three guys where one is a little person, and Jake is at 180 pounds. Like the height split and the size difference between everybody… they’re so different, right? Kevin’s so small he can use so much more of the race car. Jake’s so big, if you do too much, you’ll make the car tight. It’s tough, but it’s really been fun.”

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Also replying to a question about ABR’s chances for taking the crown in 2024, Alex Bowman responded calmly, “I’m not sure we are at quite that level. But we are gaining on it just to be in that conversation.”

The team has the talent and the leadership to win. Carrying on the tenacity to win with Hendrick Motorsports, exciting times await surely Alex Bowman in dirt racing. What do you think?ariva de