ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Dover Motor Speedway. Tomorrow’s WÜRTH 400 will mark Bowman’s 300th career NASCAR Cup Series start.
Media Availability Quotes:
OBVIOUSLY YOU MISSED THE RACE HERE AT DOVER MOTOR SPEEDWAY LAST YEAR DUE TO INJURY. HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO BE BACK AT A TRACK THAT YOU’VE HAD SO MUCH SUCCESS AT IN THE CUP SERIES?
“Yeah, for sure. I think this is always one that I’ve had circled. I was excited last year to get to come here again and obviously that didn’t pan out. But yeah, really, this is my favorite racetrack that we go to. I struggled greatly here for a long time, and then got to be teammates with Jimmie Johnson for a couple of years and honestly have been pretty successful ever since a conversation we had in 2019. So yeah, really excited to get back here, and hopefully we unload fast and are a threat for the win tomorrow.”
SPEAKING OF THAT, YOU MENTIONED ‘CIRCLE THE CALENDAR’ KIND OF TRACK – YOU HEAR THAT IN SPORTS ALL THE TIME ABOUT HOW MUCH SUCCESS YOU HAVE AT THIS PARTICULAR EVENT. FOR A DRIVER THAT’S STILL TRYING TO SEARCH FOR THAT FIRST WIN AND CLINCH A PLAYOFF SPOT, HOW MUCH MERIT DOES THAT ‘CIRCLE THE CALENDAR’ SAYING HAVE AT THIS TRACK?
“Yeah, I mean I think it’s just a place where I enjoy going to. I feel like I bring a little something to the table and know what I want and know what I need in my race car to be successful here. But at the same time, we’re all-in every weekend, right? We’re ten-tenths every weekend trying to get back into victory lane. This is just a place where I feel like maybe it’s a little more natural or maybe I have a better idea of exactly what I need to be successful. I can say that all I want, and we can unload and struggle this weekend, but I feel like it’s a place that I’m pretty confident going to.”
YOU TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU LIKE THIS TRACK. YOU’VE HAD PREVIOUS SUCCESS HERE IN THE PREVIOUS GENERATION CAR AND THIS GENERATION CAR, SO HOW DOES THAT TRANSFER OVER FROM ONE STYLE OF CAR TO ANOTHER, THAT YOU’RE STILL ABLE TO HAVE THOSE TOP FINISHES?
“Yeah, I mean I think in 2022 when we came here, I was pretty uncertain on how everything from the previous generation car was going to apply. I feel like, obviously race car things don’t apply, but some of just the fundamentals of ways to get around this place and ways to race well here still works. So yeah, I mean we had a shot to win here in 2022 with the Next Gen car, as well. It didn’t work out, but we had a good, solid day.
I feel like there’s still things that, as far as how I approach it, that pay off in both cars.”
YOU HAVE A WIN HERE AT DOVER MOTOR SPEEDWAY IN 2021. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE EMOTIONS COMING TO DOVER AND JUST KNOWING THAT YOU’RE DRIVING THE NO. 48 AND HOW MUCH SUCCESS THIS TEAM HAS HAD OVER THE YEARS WITH JIMMIE JOHNSON?
“Yeah, for sure. I attribute a lot of my success here to Jimmie (Johnson), as well. Yeah, definitely a special place for the No. 48 car. When you think of kind of the dominance that team had kind of throughout that whole era, this is a place that comes to top of mind. So, it’s super cool to have also been successful here in the No. 48 car, but yeah I think even my own successes here, I definitely attribute to him, as well.”
YOU’VE HAD SUCCESS AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY. IN THE PAST, WE’VE TALKED ABOUT SINCE YOUR FAMILY KIND OF CAME FROM THAT NECK OF THE WOODS, YOU REALLY LIKE TO RUN WELL THERE. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT TRACK THAT YOU THINK SHOWS OFF YOUR STYLE?
“Yeah, I mean I think that was one of the first immediate tracks I got to race at way back in ARCA, so I got a lot of laps there. Yeah, for whatever reason, just was kind of naturally pretty successful there off the bat, even in the Cup car. Obviously we haven’t won there, but we’ve had a lot of good days there. So, looking forward to getting there, as well. I think these two weeks are a fun two weeks for me. It’s two racetracks that I really like going to, so hopefully we’re a threat there next weekend, as well.”
GM PR
