We saw many drivers bag wins this season, but Alex Bowman’s entry into the victory lane in Chicago hits differently. For Bowman, it’s a true “phoenix rising from the ashes” moment. After battling with a broken back, a concussion, and an 80-race winless streak, he has finally triumphed.

But he admits the reality of it all, “it was difficult” he says. And not to mention that some NASCAR fans can be brutal towards underperforming drivers, taking their sorrows one level higher. Currently, Busch is in the same boat as Bowman was until this race. After the race in Chicago, he delivered a mic-drop moment that is sure to ring loud for his haters and keyboard warriors. 

Alex Bowman delivers a mic-drop moment for the haters!

Alex Bowman had a deep regret that he had been carrying in his heart for around two years. After his victory in Las Vegas, he left his celebrations unattended at “We’ll celebrate later”. And well, the opportunity never came because of a series of setbacks, including a concussion in September 2022 and a back injury from Sprint Car racing the following spring. Regretting that, he said, “I have regretted that ever since, obviously, so that is not going to happen tonight.

We are glad that he is in good spirits after the win. But it’s not always been easy and people have been brutal, to say the least, as he himself admitted. In fact, many fans have questioned if Bowman is even good enough to be in one of the top teams of NASCAR. For those questioning his mettle, it is crucial to note that Bowman made his place at HMS just through merit. He never had the money to buy a ride in and he accepted the role of a reserve driver within the company until a seat finally opened up. And he proved to everyone today why he is at Hendrick Motorsports. And he even had a message for the haters.

Alex Bowman said, “I’ve got a couple bottles that were bought early in the ’22 that were like the next win we’re going to drink these, and they’ve been sitting on the counter way too fucking long. Everybody that said I couldn’t win and don’t deserve to be at Hendrick Motorsports and all that bullshit, cheers to you.”

And well, what a win for him in Chicago. He fought hard to keep his lead. He was on wet tires in dry conditions and had one of the best drivers of NASCAR, Reddick, pursue him. Bowman also had to make a crucial pass on Joey Hand, who was in the RFK Racing No. 60 and on equal tires. Well, his win and his message to the haters are a mic-drop for sure, a highlight of the race. As for Hendrick Motorsports, they never stopped believing in him. 

Hendrick Motorsports unwavering support for Alex Bowman

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Alex Bowman was the only driver at HMS to not have won this season until Sunday’s race. But Bowman cleared that he never faced much scrutiny from within the organization than what he did from the outside. He said, “I think you need to win races whenever you’re at HMS. But certainly, nobody has made me feel like I’m on the hot seat. There’s never been a single conversation with a single person that has questioned anything to do with that at all.”

But Bowman admits that having had such setbacks and injuries sure played havoc with his mind and had him questioning if he would ever win a race again—it is understandable. But at Hendricks, he said the team were ever so supportive and they were always like, “It’s all been, what do you need, how can we help you, how can we support the team. That’s the great part about Hendrick Motorsports is whatever the noise is outside, everybody inside is never going to tear each other down. They’re always going to be supportive.”

What Bowman went through is not easy. Injuring yourself when indulging in something you love and damaging your career prospects amidst that- it certainly takes a lot to come out of that. And Bowman in the end just feels great to make it to the playoffs and that too, doing something most didn’t think he could have.