If anyone’s feeling the impending playoff heat inside the Hendrick Motorsports garage, it’s Alex Bowman. While his teammates have racked up wins and built momentum, Bowman is still chasing his first victory of the 2025 season. William Byron has already crossed the finish line at Daytona and Iowa, driving with strong momentum and leading the championship charge. Kyle Larson boasts three wins this year, securing his playoff spot with high confidence. Even Chase Elliott broke through with a crucial Atlanta win, though he still needs more consistency to stay competitive. But in Bowman’s case, it was his performance at Watkins Glen that mounted the pressure for his playoff hopes.

Adding to that pressure is the quiet but steady surge of RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, who’s gaining points and closing the gap on Bowman in the playoff standings. The battle between these two isn’t just about points; it’s a looming rivalry that could decide who punches the final ticket to the playoffs and who’s left on the outside looking in. So what really went wrong for the Hendrick Motorsports driver at Glenn?

Bowman’s “not a great day” at Watkins Glen

Alex Bowman walked into Watkins Glen knowing he had to push hard for stage points to keep his playoff hopes alive. “Yeah, I mean, I think we knew we were going to sell out for stage points,” he told NBC’s Dustin Long on X, laying bare the gamble Hendrick Motorsports took. Bowman started strong, finishing second in Stage 1 and collecting valuable points, but the risk came with a price. After the final pit stop, Bowman’s car went “super tight,” meaning it wouldn’t turn properly, and he struggled to find pace on fresh tires, which was brutal on a track that punishes mistakes with quick tire wear.

That handling problem forced Bowman to drive with the throttle, a desperate tactic that “just burnt the tires off the thing,” robbing him of grip as the laps ticked down. On top of that, Bowman revealed a nasty surprise: his CO filter blew apart, sending exhaust fumes right into [his] eyes through his helmet, making visibility a nightmare. “So that was super fun,” he said with biting sarcasm. It was a brutal combination of technical trouble and physical discomfort.

The result? Bowman limped home in 20th place, collecting only a few points and seeing his playoff cushion shrink dangerously. Bowman summed it up: “I’m sure points are okay, but not an amazing finish… you kind of know when you sell out for stage points that it’s not going to end up good. It should have ended up better than that but it’s not a great day.”

After Watkins Glen, the playoff points battle grew even more intense around the cutoff line. Alex Bowman secured 30 points, including valuable stage points, maintaining his 15th-place hold in the standings. However, Chris Buescher, with a strong third-place finish and a stage win, racked up a hefty 44 points, cutting Bowman’s playoff lead down to just 26 points. Though Bowman still clings to the final Hendrick Motorsports playoff berth, Buescher’s relentless charge means every race from here on out feels like a high-stakes battle for survival.

 Shane van Gisbergen prepares for the oval challenge

Following his dominant victory at Watkins Glen, Shane van Gisbergen etched his name into NASCAR history by becoming only the third driver to earn five Cup Series wins after debuting at age 34 or older. Moreover, he achieved this milestone in just 38 Cup starts, making him the ninth quickest driver ever to reach five wins and the fastest to do so in the modern era. He also set a new rookie benchmark with the most wins in a debut season, surpassing the previous record held by Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson.

Van Gisbergen opened up about his journey and what this success means: “That’s why I moved here, and that’s why I guess Justin [Marks, Trackhouse Racing CEO] believed in me and he knew I could do this…I’ve changed my life to come and do this, and to come and make true of what everyone believed in me, and to execute myself and get everything right, it’s why I go racing.” His rapid rise has stunned many in the sport, proving that experience outside NASCAR and raw talent can combine to rewrite the record books.

However, his success on road courses sharply contrasts with his struggles on oval tracks, where he has yet to find consistent form. For instance, in his most recent oval race at Iowa Speedway, Van Gisbergen started 21st but finished 31st after an early spin caused significant damage and a late-race incident further hampered his progress. Throughout the season, his oval performances have been marred by challenges, including difficulty maintaining pace and race incidents, resulting in finishes well outside the top ten. Acknowledging the difficulty ahead, van Gisbergen candidly stated, “It ain’t going to be easy, that’s for sure. The first round, it’s some very difficult left-handed tracks for me, but I’m getting better at it, and I’m enjoying myself, and it’s a challenge. That’s why we’re here, and we’ll have a proper crack at it.”

Meanwhile, as the playoff season edges closer, Alex Bowman’s playoff spot is hanging by a thread after Watkins Glen. With no wins yet this season and Chris Buescher closing the gap fast, Bowman needs to step up now or risk losing his grip on the playoffs. The pressure’s on, and every race counts.