Rick Hendrick’s Superstar Reveals “Most Dangerous” Strategy to Escape Unforeseen Talladega Disaster

Talladega Superspeedway is called the ‘Big One’ for a reason. Over the years, the 2.66-mile oval has built a reputation for being a chaotic track with a history of multi-car wrecks. With cars driving at an average of 188 mph on the tracks high-banked turns and straightaways, the slightest contact can inevitably have disastrous consequences. As the stakes are higher than ever before ahead of the 2024 YellaWood 500, what can drivers do to escape the race unscathed? Spilling his secrets in a social media post, Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman shared insights about the most risky but effective race strategy to avoid wrecks at NASCAR’s longest track.

Drivers will be tempering their expectations going into the second Round of 12 race. Talladega is one of only two superspeedway tracks in the NASCAR calendar and is considered somewhat of a wildcard by teams and drivers. No driver is immune to being wrecked, irrespective of grid positions and teams struggle to devise a race strategy because of how unpredictable the races can be. After Ross Chastain won the 2024 Hollywood Casino 400, the twelve playoff contenders know that they have two more opportunities to secure an automatic berth into the Round of 8. Will that make the competition even more cutthroat, particularly in the closing stages?

Sharing the most effective way to avoid getting wrecked while getting a result at Talladega Superspeedway, Rick Hendrick’s driver Alex Bowman said, “For me, I just try to race hard and be smart. Like if you’re 20th coming to two to go on a stage, you’re not going to get stage points. You can kind of be conservative then. Other than that, just race hard and try to be upfront. It’s the most dangerous way to do it but I feel like when you’re trying to save your car all day, you don’t really know what you have at the end.”

Bowman knows a thing or two about getting a good result at ‘The Dega’. The 31-year-old finished fifth at the superspeedway earlier this season, higher than all his teammates. While his plan may be simple, he seems to have learned a lesson from Denny Hamlin’s approach at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the opening playoff race. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran had a conservative race strategy, hoping to capitalize on wrecks to gain track positions but the approach backfired, forcing the Florida native to finish 24th. While the likelihood of a wreck might increase the higher up a driver is on the grid, that’s a risk title contenders must be willing to take with six races remaining.

As things stand, Alex Bowman is sixth in the driver standings, eight points ahead of the elimination cutline. While he has secured top-ten finishes in his last two races, the No. 48 Chevy driver can’t afford to rest on his laurels just yet. An early retirement could have disastrous consequences for Bowman’s title hopes, a factor he will look to avoid at all costs going into the 2024 YellaWood 500. Winning at the Chicago Street Course earlier this year, could the 31-year-old be banking his hopes on the road course race at Charlotte Roval? Given his circumstances, it’s unlikely that the Arizona native can afford to.

Is Alex Bowman regretting missed opportunities during the regular season?

No driver has outperformed Alex Bowman during the Round of 16 playoffs. Yes, you read that right. Even though most fans ruled him out of a title challenge after the regular season ended, the Hendrick Motorsports driver has improved his results significantly, just when it mattered the most. With three top-ten finishes in the last four postseason races, one would think he would be higher than sixth in the driver standings. However, his position highlights just how many opportunities he has missed during the opening 26 races.

Speaking to hendrickmotorsports.com, the 31-year-old racing driver said, “It was our job to stack up playoff points throughout the season and we didn’t do that, that’s part of it. We didn’t capitalize on that.” It seems like Bowman is more than making up for it now, securing a staggering 120 points in the opening three postseason races, 17 more than any other driver during that time. His performance at Kansas Speedway was equally impressive, winning Stage 2 and finishing the race in sixth place. If he maintains this momentum going forward, there is no reason for him to not challenge for the championship at Phoenix Raceway later this year.

Unlike the opening playoff races, Talladega Superspeedway will pose a different challenge for Alex Bowman. When asked by Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass about what result he will be satisfied with at the 2024 YellaWood 500, the Arizona native replied, “Top-10 with stage points”, indicating that he recognizes the difficulties of the 2.66-mile oval. However, that won’t stop Bowman from being quietly confident about his chances in the upcoming race. After all, he is having his best Cup Series season in years and it’s a ride he will want to enjoy as long as it lasts.