Alex Bowman needs a miracle.
Entering Saturday’s Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is 35 points below the playoff cutoff line for the round of 12.
Fortunately for Bowman, he knows how to summon Northeast Tennessee mountain magic.
“Bristol has been really good to us,†said Bowman in a Zoom conference last week. “I would be happy if we raced there 12 times a year.â€
NASCAR Cup Series driver Alex Bowman watches qualifying at Bristol Motor Speedway in April. Bowman won the pole for the 2025 Food City 500.
In 16 career Cup starts at BMS, the Tucson, Arizona, native has recorded five top-five finishes. He also earned the pole in the last two races.
“We’ve had some strong runs and been super-fast at Bristol,†Bowman said. “I had an (engine) failure in the race this past spring, but we were a second place car at worst.â€
Bowman has experienced some high-profile headaches in the past two Cup races.
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In the playoff opener at Darlington, he was forced to settled for a 31st place finish following a 40-second pit stop due to an air hose issue.
Last week at World Wide Technology Raceway, Bowman was slowed by a 23-second pit stop relating to an error with the jack.
On Tuesday, officials at Hendrick Motorsports made a major move with Bowman’s crew by replacing the jackman, tire carrier and tire changers.
Despite his current win-or-else plight, the low-key Bowman said he doesn’t feel the need to pump himself up.
“It’s just the reality of the situation,†Bowman said. “We were really bad in recent races, and now we have to be really good.
“I’m a realist in the sense that it’s time to go to work. And I’m ready to get after it.â€
At the end of last week, officials from Goodyear and NASCAR decided to use a softer right-side tire for the Night Race.
For fans and drivers, the wish is for a compelling brand of drama after the last two events were dominated by Kyle Larson.
“A softer tire is going to mean more tire wear,†Bowman said. “We will wait and see what happens. The Next Gen car has made passing pretty difficult at Bristol.â€
According to Bowman, the key to success at BMS is basic.
“You have to run have to run the car really hard to make speed. And when you do that, you are usually going to wear the tires out really quick. So, you have to find a balance,†Bowman said.
Alex Bowman’s pit crew changes the tires at Bristol Motor Speedway during the 2025 Food City 500.
Austin Dillon is just 11 points behind Austin Cindric on the playoff cutoff line, with road course expert Shane Van Gisbergen 15 points back. Wood Brothers driver Josh Berry faces long odds with his 45-point deficit.
The spotlight will be intense for all the playoff chasers. And that’s just fine with Bowman.
“I love this place. The race track is really small and super loud. And the fan experience is great,†Bowman said.
“I think having Bristol as an elimination race is cool. Hopefully, we can find some answers and come out on the right side of things.â€
