“He Lost His Mom Five Years Ago Today” – Alex Bowman Pays Tribute to NASCAR Crew Chief Greg Ives for Las Vegas Win

Earlier, Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman won the Cup Series race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is also worth mentioning that Sunday was also an important day for his crew chief Greg Ives. This is because, on that day five years ago, Ives lost his mother. So this would have been the perfect tribute to her memory.

Bowman said, “To be able to win on a special day for Greg, obviously he lost his mom five years ago, today. It’s been a heck of a ride with Greg, I really enjoy working with him. We’re both awkward as hell, but its a good time to win. You know, I lost my grandmother this winter, so definitely means a lot to be able to win for her and for Greg’s mom as well.”

What did this win mean for Alex Bowman?

Naturally, it meant a lot to the #48 driver, as he rockets up to 8th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship. At the same time, it pretty much seals his berth into the playoffs later on this year. During this race, Bowman and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates pulled off a strategic masterstroke.

To be exact, all four drivers, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, and Chase Elliott, took two tires on the final pit stop. Admittedly, it put them in the crosshairs of a hard-charging Kyle Busch on four fresh tires. Luckily, they were able to fend off the Joe Gibbs Racing driver.

However, Bowman now had a new problem on his hands, keeping Kyle Larson at bay. Somehow, he and Larson were able to keep things clean between them. Obviously, they both kept team owner Rick Hendrick’s pre-race meeting in mind. It was fortunate that they did so, otherwise, it would have been another Kyle Larson-Chase Elliott situation.

READ MORE: Alex Bowman Sets Up Huge Surprise for Crew Chief Greg Ives with NASCAR Darlington Throwback Scheme