Editor’s note: this continue the series in which we review every driver in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in reverse order of championship finish.
Summary of the season: Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Team leader: Blake Harris
Final ranking 2024: 9th
Key stats: One victory, eight top fives, 17 top 10s, one pole, 67 laps led
How 2024 ended: After a year away from the NASCAR playoffs, Bowman returned to the 16-driver grid and reached the round of 16. The 31-year-old driver looked set to advance to the round of 16, but his No. 48 Chevrolet was disqualified. of the round finale at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval after the car failed to meet the minimum weight requirement during post-race inspection. Bowman was initially clear for the next round by nine points before the penalty, which opened the door for eventual Cup Series champion Joey Logano to continue his playoff run.
RELATED: Alex Bowman through the years
Best race: Bowman ended an 80-race winless drought with a spirited push to victory in the Chicago Street Race, holding off charging Tyler Reddick throughout the stretch. A timely strategic play by No. 48 crew chief Blake Harris put the team in contention late in the race, and Bowman did the rest, leading the final eight laps. The triumph was a validating turn of events for the Hendrick Motorsports driver, who answered lingering questions about his performance and completed a redemption arc after battling injuries that hampered him the previous two seasons.
Other highlights of the season: Bowman finished second to Hendrick teammate William Byron at the Daytona 500, but he achieved his most consistent streak during the spring months. Bowman managed top-10 finishes in eight events during a 10-race span, including a streak of five consecutive starts. This period included a career milestone at Dover Motor Speedway, where he placed eighth in his 300th Cup Series race.
Stat to know: The 2024 campaign was a mixed statistical bag for Bowman, who tied a career high with eight top-five finishes and surpassed his personal mark with 17 top 10s. His total of 67 rounds, however, was the most season low since joining Hendrick Motorsports full-time in 2018.
Quotable: “We made the playoffs and did what everyone said we couldn’t do again. I mean, I obviously wish we would have won a few races over that time, but I feel like we performed at a very high level. Obviously a very small and simple mistake cost us dearly, but that’s how races go sometimes. So, I feel like we’ve all done a good job and worked really hard and we really need to keep that as a baseline until 2025, I feel like. We must always race at that level and rise from there. — Bowman on his outlook for next season.
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Looking to the future: Hendrick Motorsports’ four-driver roster remains unchanged for the fifth straight season, and Bowman is under contract with the No. 48 team through the 2026 campaign. Bowman echoed his teammates’ remarks when asked asked about areas for improvement for 2025, saying the organization needs to close the speed gap on relatively flat tracks around a mile in length – think Phoenix Raceway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. . But Bowman also said he’s looking forward to building momentum in his third season with crew chief Harris and with the No. 48 Over-the-Wall Group, which won the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew award in 2024.
