It was a quiet playoff for the Hendrick Motorsports this season. The 4 HMS racers were not up to the mark during the first two races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Watkins Glen road course race. But the Brass Pro Shop Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway changed everything. 3 out of the 4 Hendrick Motorsports racers had an impressive performance with Kyle Larson dominating the race, leveling up his large deficit from the previous two races and qualifying for the Round of 12 in some style, right at the top of the table.

The race had Kyle Larson written all over it. Chase Elliott was right behind the No. 5 towards the end to conclude an epic 1-2 for the team. Interestingly, all the 4 HMS racers have gone through to the Round of 12. Alex Bowman, who secured the pole position after a disappointing Watkins Glen display, was the one probably most happy with his team’s performance. After all, HMS avoided an early elimination. A record that would have been embarrassing for the team.

Alex Bowman expresses satisfaction with the team’s performance

Alex Bowman entered the playoffs with a rise. He ended 5th at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, his performance at Watkins Glen slipped up a bit. The No. 48 finished 18th in the road course race. Thus, the playoffs were a mixed bag for the 31-year-old. However, the Bristol Motor Speedway came in as a breath of fresh air. Bowman was at the pole position of the race. However, the HMS ace racer slipped up during the later stages of the race and ultimately finished 9th.

The HMS driver had a smile on his face after the race. Discussing his experiences of the race with Peter Stratta, Bowman had this to say, “Yeah, we did what we needed through the stages. As the racetrack really rubbered in there. We kinda got off where we needed to be with our Racecar a little. But our 48 team did a great job, and the crew was really good, and gave some good calls. At the last stage, we gave up some track position, and it was a bit tough from there.” Alex Bowman had an impressive start to the race and emerged in 2nd place, right behind Kyle Larson during the first stage of the race.

The No. 48 car, however, lost its position to Martin Truex Jr. as the race progressed. Meanwhile, his HMS teammate continued to outshine his rivals and also won the second stage. Following a pit-stop over-speeding penalty, Martin Truex Jr. lost momentum in the race. During the second stage, Alex Bowman slipped up to the 7th position. The race ended with Kyle Larson leading 467 out of 500 laps. His teammate Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing had a podium finish in the race which set the field for the Round of 12 of the Cup Series playoffs.

While HMS had a dream race at the Bristol Motor Speedway, the Joe Gibbs Racing had a contrary experience. Two of its racers, Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr. unfortunately, could not make it to the Round of 12. The only positive aspect of the JGR was the positive finish of Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin’s recovery in the last race of the Round of 16, which helped him pull beyond the elimination line and make it to the next round. With the playoff field now clear, the dynamics for the Round of 12 have emerged to be both intense and interesting.

The Round of 12: The Championship dynamics turned interesting

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The Cup Series dynamics have turned interesting. Racers like Ty Gibbs, Brad Keselowski, Harrison Burton, and Martin Truex Jr. are out of contention now. On the other hand, Chase Briscoe, Alex Bowman, Daniel Suárez, and Austin Cindric are in the bubble for the Round of 8. Others, too, are in a tight position. While Joey Logano is just 4 points above the elimination line. Racers like Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott are just 7 and 6 points clear of the Round of 8 contention.

The HMS racers are in an interesting position in the playoff bubble. Kyle Larson has entered the next stage of the playoffs with 39 points clear of the elimination line. The next HMS racer, who is largely safe, is William Byron. The No. 24 is 14 points above the bubble with the other 2 drivers; Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman in the danger spot. With such interesting dynamics for the HMS and racers of other teams, only time will tell the results of the Round of 8.

What are your thoughts on Alex Bowman’s post-Bristol words? Do tell us in the comments down below.