JOLIET, Ill. – Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway was one for the books, as Alex Bowman earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory.
The emotion of the moment was evident on the driver’s face as he and the No. 88 team celebrated the feat in Victory Lane.
“I'm pretty speechless,” Bowman said. “I feel like I kind of just want to get home and enjoy it with my friends. It's something that's all I've wanted my whole life, and now that we won one race, I don't really know what to do with myself a little bit.”
The victory came in a thrilling fashion, as Bowman lost the race lead with just eight laps remaining but regained it two laps later to capture the checkered flag for the win.
The races leading up to Chicagoland have been filled with highs and lows for the driver. Early in his career, he didn’t capture a top-10 finish in his first two Cup Series campaigns. He made the playoffs in his first full-time season with Hendrick Motorsports in 2018, however, and this year had earned five top-10 finishes including three consecutive runner-up results.
“I kind of went from running in the back every week to doing this, and still not really sure how that all happened, but it's been a heck of a ride,” Bowman said after the win. “Just very thankful for the opportunity and thankful for getting to work with people like Greg Ives and this 88 team.”
Ives, the No. 88 team crew chief, had earned three wins with former Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. before Bowman took over the No. 88 machine. Sunday at Chicago marked Ives and Bowman’s first trip to Victory Lane together, and the crew chief got to share it with some family and friends in attendance.
“It's the hard work and the people behind you that allow you to get where you're at,” Ives said. “Heck, I haven't got 150 texts in my life in a week, and for those people to reach out and how proud they are, that's what I do it for.”
The No. 88 team has a rich history, and Bowman was proud to add to the resume on Sunday, becoming the sixth different driver to win in the car number. He credited his team and crew chief for their continuous support ever since he climbed behind the wheel of the iconic ride.
“I'm so happy and I feel like I'm not really showing it because I just don't really know what to say,” Bowman said. “I'm just very thankful for the opportunity and thankful for everybody that supported me and stuck with me. Obviously, Greg has been a big part of that.”
After celebrating with his teammates at the track, Bowman couldn’t wait to get back home and share the momentous achievement with his friends and Hendrick Motorsports family back home in North Carolina.
“It's been a heck of a last couple of years,” he expressed. “I feel like it hasn't sunk in yet, you know. I feel like once I'm able to kind of go home and be back with the people that were there for the years of running 35th and the same core group of people that I've been friends with my whole life, when I get to go home and share it with them, it's going to be really special.”