Sunday marked the second straight tumble for Alex Bowman. Last weekend’s underwhelming showing, where a Stage 1 spin on Lap 97 derailed his race, meant Bowman slumped to a 29th-place finish, despite starting ninth. At Nashville Superspeedway, the pattern continued.
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He lost control in Turn 3 on Lap 114 of the scheduled 300 in the Cracker Barrel 400, sending his No. 48 car careening into Noah Gragson. Both cars pounded the wall, ending their days prematurely. Bowman and Gragson were credited with 36th and 38th-place finishes, respectively.
Over the past seven races, Bowman’s form has deteriorated sharply. At Texas, he was one of several drivers, including Bubba Wallace, Gragson, and AJ Allmendinger, who were collected in a multi-car wreck on Lap 172 at the start of the final stage, ending Bowman’s race in P35.
At Bristol, he was sidelined by an engine issue. Running in third place, Bowman began slipping back on Lap 285 of the scheduled 500, and within the next five laps, he had dropped to 10th, radioing to his team that his engine was on the brink. Eventually, on Lap 347, he retired to the garage, ending his race in 37th place.
Other than a top-five finish at Kansas and a top-10 showing at Talladega, Bowman has struggled to post strong results lately. Before that, his last outstanding run came at Homestead, where he battled his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson in the closing laps before Larson pulled ahead with seven laps remaining to seize victory in the Straight Talk Wireless 400.
Alex Bowman since finishing in 2nd place at Homestead:
– Martinsville: 27th
– Darlington: 35th
– Bristol: 37th
– Talladega: 7th
– Texas: 35th
– Kansas: 5th
– Charlotte: 29th
– Nashville: 35th (current after wreck)— Austin Konenski (@AustinKonenski) June 2, 2025
Through the season’s first six races, Bowman’s consistency was remarkable, with five top-10s including a top-five placing in the mix. However, his recent form has been marred by wrecks and mechanical failures.
Next up for Bowman is Michigan International Speedway, a track where his average finish stands at a subpar 24.3 over 15 starts, with just three top-10 finishes to his name. Navigating Michigan will be no easy feat, but should he manage to notch a top-five there, it could provide a much-needed confidence boost for the beleaguered HMS driver.
