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Image Credits: Imago
Alex Bowman’s latest victory has been the talk of the NASCAR town and everybody’s excited to see what the Hendrick Motorsports driver has in store for the next races! But where there’s a celebration, there’s also criticism, and the rumors swirling around Bowman are not too kind.
Following the break of his 80-race winless streak, fans and spectators alike are ecstatic for him, cheering him on to keep up the good work and excel from here on out. The others, meanwhile, are expecting him to fall back into his subpar performance, relaying his incidents from 2021, where his injuries took a major hit on his NASCAR Cup Series streak. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr isn’t about to let anybody talk down Bowman like he doesn’t have what it takes to get back in the zone. Taking to his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, he spoke about Alex Bowman’s struggles and his latest conquest that should give everyone hope for the racer.
Dale Earnhardt Jr Passionately Backs Alex Bowman’s Fight to Regain Top Form
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If you’ve followed NASCAR long enough, you would know that Alex Bowman has faced an uphill battle since suffering injuries in 2021 that derailed his promising NASCAR Cup Series campaign. After leading the points and winning multiple races earlier that year, Bowman’s momentum was abruptly halted when he broke his back, putting everything on a major pause for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed the criticism directed at the Hendrick Motorsports driver, condemning the harsh remarks. He emphasized the challenges involved in recovering from such injuries, highlighting that this difficulty is often overlooked when assessing the driver’s overall performance. Although there was a time when even Earnhardt Jr. had his doubts about Bowman, he now wholeheartedly commends Bowman for his resilience in regaining his former top form. Bowman’s return to the track for the Chicago Street Race this year was no small accomplishment, and Earnhardt Jr. truly acknowledges the effort required to achieve it.
“That really hit me personally, because I too had been starting to feel like ‘Will Bowman ever get it going?’ There was a period of time when he was winning more races than anybody in the sport, there was a chunk of about six to eight-month span where he was the most successful driver in terms of victories in the sport,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. explained while empathizing with for Bowman. “And it’s just been a tough struggle, right? I don’t know. I’m happy for Bowman, but now we’ll see if he can carry that momentum going forward.”
![](https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-04-15T230605Z_1214380500_MT1USATODAY20471932_RTRMADP_3_NASCAR-CUP-PRACTICE-AND-QUALIFYING.jpg?width=150&blur=15)
USA Today via Reuters
Apr 15, 2023; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Alex Bowman (48) sits in his car during qualifying at Martinsville Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Dale Earnhardt Jr understands how hard it must have been for Alex Bowman to work to pick himself up again after seeing his progress take such a drastic dip, even after he reentered the races post his recovery. He was falling behind significantly compared to his Hendrick Motorsports teammates like Larson and Byron, who were winning races left and right. To Dale, who has seen Bowman at his best, it looked like he was falling way behind. It must’ve been very difficult seeing the other cars up front while he was fighting just to get back to where he was before the injury.
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What’s your perspective on:
Is Alex Bowman truly undeserving, or is he proving his critics, including Dale Jr., wrong?
Have an interesting take?
Alex Bowman’s Resilience and Determination
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While talking about his struggles in the NASCAR scene, there were moments when Alex Bowman teared up expressing how tough it has been for him to see the people he has let down – his team, Rick Hendrick, the fans, and those who counted on him. But he has refused to give up and has been pushing himself to see it through to the end of his recovery. Maybe it did take longer than he would have wanted, by nearly four years, but he eventually started to find that old spark he lost to the injuries again. And that’s what really counts at the end of the day!
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While his determination and passion for the sport have kept him going, he still has a long way to go and many people to prove wrong. Perhaps Alex Bowman grew tired of feeling like he was just riding along and decided to take the plunge, relying on his team and crew chief, Blake Harris, to reach victory lane. Now that he has reclaimed his place among the sport’s elite, he’s pushing off in top gear, showing the world that he has the skill, tenacity, and competitive fire to compete for championships!
This latest triumph is just the beginning for Hendrick’s driver. No longer will Alex Bowman be counted out or overlooked on the tracks of speedways, street courses, or circuits. He’s revving up to put on a show like never before – the sky’s the limit as he looks forward to building on this momentum and cementing his status as one of the true superstars of NASCAR.
Debate
Is Alex Bowman truly undeserving, or is he proving his critics, including Dale Jr., wrong?