Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman snapped an 80-race winless streak after weaving his way through the damp streets of the Windy City last weekend. Although he was good with points to make the playoffs, a win last weekend left no doubt about him contending in the knockout stages.

While the driver of the No. 48 Chevy did show strength and composure to secure his win, in reality, a lot of things worked out in his favor, arguably making him the lucky dog for the event. Now his gamble of trying to stay on the rain tires worked wonders as it could’ve gone either way, with race leaders Christopher Bell & Ty Gibbs opting for slicks, with the track getting dry with every lap.

So was Bowman really lucky? Well, our EssentiallySports team, who was on the ground at Pocono interviewing drivers and crew chiefs, got to hear an interesting take on the matter. Till now, we have had a couple of intriguing interactions, but sharing his thoughts with us, part-time Xfinity Series driver, Stephen Mallozzi, did take us by surprise a little.

Was the Chicago win a one-off race result for top 10 running Alex Bowman?

The 2024 season has neither been bleak nor something out of the ordinary for the #48 team. After almost winning the first points race at Daytona, the 31-year-old has just been content with top-10 finishes. He even had a streak of four consecutive races this season where he finished inside the top 10 places.

Considering the well-running race car he has, he certainly has some catching up to do with the rest of the field. This was highlighted by Mallozzi. When EssentiallySports’ Bharat Aggarwal asked, “Who is the Lucky Dog of NASCAR?” the former AM Racing driver said, “I’m trying to think about it. Yeah, that’s probably a good answer, Bowman. Let’s go, Bowman.”

He explained, “Yeah, Bowman always seems to have races where he has a fast car but not the fastest car. Something happens at the end. He gets the strategy he needs to pull it off. And he always finds a way to execute when he needs to.”

It’s important to note that during his win at the second Chicago Street Race, he didn’t have to deal with SVG or Kyle Larson. These two were outright favorites to win the Cup race. But unfortunately, they both crashed out of the race early. Similarly, had Tyler Reddick kept his car straight without making contact with the wall, he would have caught up to the #48 car with the advantage of slicks.

But as fate would have it, Alex Bowman took the checkered flag, ensuring his first win of the 2024 season. With this, he also brought redemption to Mr. Hendrick and his squad, which will now see all 4 of their cars compete for the championship, something that couldn’t happen last year. Amid all this, he even shut down any potential rumors about him not continuing with HMS next season.

Bowman is in for a long run with Hendrick Motorsports

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In a team where winning is its brand identity and culture, the Arizona native was in a spot of trouble after drawing blanks for a long stretch. Kyle Larson and William Byron had racked up multiple wins. Chase Elliott also broke his 42-race winless streak back to victory lane. Unable to deliver the results, the rumors mills started speculating about Bowman’s future, despite the driver having a contract until the end of 2026.

Keeping quiet among the chatter, he did his talking on the racetrack and produced the goods when it mattered to him the most. After the win, an emotional Bowman stated, “Everybody that said I couldn’t win and don’t deserve to be at Hendrick Motorsports and all that, cheers to you.” Even vice-chairman Jeff Gordon further exerted his confidence in the driver after the Chicago race.

“As far as we’re concerned, Ally loves him, and we love him. He’s a car guy, and there’s a reason why he came to Hendrick Motorsports, and he’s proven he can win. Today was not an easy set of circumstances, and he proved he can win in these tough conditions as well as on a road course.” Gordon said after the race.

With the playoffs now approaching, Bowman should be able to express himself much better and exert confidence on the racetrack. Although it’s good to have luck on your side, it takes much more than that to be a championship contender. We, at EssentiallySports, wish him all the luck.