Alex Bowman Eyes Daytona 500 Trophy as He Reveals Grand Plan for Rick Hendrick’s NASCAR Drought

Gearing up for a high-speed speedway chase in NASCAR’s biggest spectacle – the Daytona 500 – is Alex Bowman from the seventh spot in a race where the Fords have pushed back the HMS Chevys to take the starting row. Beyond the Ford vs Chevy narrative, however, there’s another storyline that can be told in a much different way if Bowman actually wins the race and ends the drought for Rick Hendrick and Co.

Heading into Sunday’s race, the 30-year-old intends to “put Hendrick Motorsports in the best position,” eyeing the initial leap that would secure a playoff berth, something he couldn’t previously do in 2023.

Mr. H’s driver, Alex Bowman sets the bar high, scoping for a Daytona win to end HMS’ NASCAR misery

The driver has made it clear that he wants to end HMS’ awry streak. According to Hendrickmotorsports.com, Bowman ahead of his speedway run said, “I want to be the guy that changes that, but want to put Hendrick Motorsports in the best position with all four of our cars to get there. The DAYTONA 500 is a huge deal and we want to go get a trophy.”

2023 was a dismal year for Bowman who broke his back in a Sprint race, eventually sidelined for almost a month, an unfortunate incident that would later leave the driver in dire straits. The driver had an average finish rate of 7.1 during his initial run last year, picking up six top-10 finishes out of the seven early races, including the crown jewel Daytona 500.

But as fate would have it, Bowman suffered a grievous back injury that later took away the momentum. This one-month sabbatical mounted overwhelming pressure on the driver, as he never found the same footing after his return. This points deficit eventually had the driver exiting the tournament without even making it past the regular season, finishing the season at a dismal 20th position in the rankings. But as we head to the Daytona 500, Bowman seems to have turned the page, starting a new chapter in his 2024 schedule.

Watch This Story: Alex Bowman unravels his plans for dirt racing 

As an organization, HMS has not won the prestigious race in 10 years with the great Dale Earnhardt Jr. recording the last victory in the event in 2014, when he scored his second win at the 2.5-mile speedway. But now, gunning for a comeback, Bowman has the perfect opportunity and a potent race machine on Sunday to get the job done.

Bowman’s spectacular Daytona record has the HMS ace above Dale Jr and Jeff Gordon

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The #48 HMS driver has the highest chance according to stats as NASCAR’s stat guy, Trey Ryan on X uncovered how he eclipses Dale Earnhardt Jr and the 4-time Cup Series champion, Jeff Gordon.

Wondering how? Well, Bowman, between 2018 and 2023, started the 200-lap feature at Daytona on the front row every single time. That simply means six consecutive front-row starts. Now that is an accolade even the sport’s greats like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, and Jeff Gordon haven’t matched in their prime years.

Taking over the #88 car from Junior, Bowman shattered expectations, starting his first time season with HMS with a stellar performance, starting on the front row.

As he returns to the track in 2024, he will be hoping to start his year off the same way he did in 2023 and above all, gift his boss, Hendricks, a Daytona 500 trophy.

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