CONCORD, N.C. -- Alex Bowman led the charge for Hendrick Motorsports Sunday afternoon, winning at Dover International Speedway for Hendrick Motorsports’ first 1-2-3-4 finish in its history.
While it was a historic moment for the organization, it was also a massive personal accomplishment for Bowman. He took over first place during Stage 3 and didn’t look back, continuously restarting up front. Even more exciting was team owner Rick Hendrick watching the race live at the track.
“(It’s) really cool to lead the organization to it’s first 1-2-3-4 finish,” Bowman said. “I think it’s really special that we were able to do that here today, especially having Mr. H. here. (I) haven’t won with him at the racetrack before. It’s cool to get him that win; it's obviously a really special day for him and really special to have him here.”
Teammate Kyle Larson tailed Bowman for the last leg of the race, followed by Chase Elliott and William Byron. The drivers finished in that position, becoming only the fourth time in NASCAR Cup Series history have has a 1-2-3-4 finish, with the last time coming in 2005.
Crew chief Greg Ives said Hendrick witnessing Bowman’s second win of the year was “special,” especially with the organization dominating the majority of the event with 382 laps led out of 400. Bowman led 98 of those laps before crossing the finish line first.
“Basically, (Mr. H) was just happy to see Alex get to victory lane, especially with the No. 48 and Ally sponsorship,” Ives said. “For him to be at the racetrack and to enjoy not only us getting the win, but the whole company running really well was definitely special to him and good to see.”
The pivotal point of the race was Bowman’s 11.8-second pit stop early in the third stage, which was the fastest four-tire pit stop in the Cup Series so far this season. It allowed him to leapfrog teammate Kyle Larson, who then tailed Bowman through the last 98 laps of the race. Bowman gave his crew a shout out over the radio and later credited them for the win.
“I think the Ally pit crew deserves all the credit in the world for this win,” Bowman said. “I think it’s really all about them. It’s really cool to be able to hold the No. 5 off there at the end and get the No. 48 team another win.”
Ives added the No. 48 team’s rough couple of weeks since their win at Richmond Raceway was the fuel for their stellar day at Dover. He said his crew buckled down more than ever to focus on the race at Dover, which showed with Bowman and the team’s flawless execution throughout the day.
“We had great speed in our car, all of our cars, so that means the process is working well,” Ives said. “Everybody is working well together to bring the fast cars to the track. A lot of credit to the shop guys and everybody who leads Hendrick Motorsports.”