Very rarely has Alex Bowman had an offseason where he’s kicked back comfortably approaching the season ahead. His performances almost always lead to discussions about him being replaced in the offseason, and yet, he finds a reason to avoid being cut. Does that affect him, though? No.
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That scrutiny has followed him ever since he took over the No. 88 car full-time in 2018, largely because Hendrick Motorsports sets an elite standard. While Bowman wins races and makes the playoffs, his inconsistency, injuries, and lower week-to-week output compared to teammates like Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and William Byron keep the pressure on year after year.
This subpar reality would have hurt the sentiment of a different driver and led to a hit to his confidence. But that’s not what has happened with Bowman. He capitalizes on the sporadic wins that he secures and creates merchandise out of them that fans love. This has led to an inevitable increase in his popularity, even though that’s not something he has ever sought.
For instance, after his victory at Richmond in 2021, Bowman quipped on his team radio, “Get over it. Nobody likes us anyway.” Immediately, a t-shirt with the slogan, “Nobody likes us anyway,” was born.
When a frustrated Denny Hamlin called him a “hack” after being pushed out of the way to Victory Lane at Martinsville, another t-shirt was born.
The pattern continued whenever he faced some sort of criticism from his fellow drivers. He told Fox Sports, “I don’t like attention, and I sometimes don’t know how to deal with a bunch of attention the best. So when we’re selling thousands of shirts a week and more than we can print, it’s pretty wild to see the fan support.”
The No. 48 driver is making the best out of bad scenarios, and that needs appreciation. But what has him completely taken aback is how much the fans have loved his merchandise. The “nobody likes us anyway” t-shirts were supposed to be a joke at how he doesn’t run after attention.
But they are what caught fire and became his biggest hit. He told Frontstretch, “I figured we’d sell some, but I think we passed our preorder goal in like 30 minutes [laughs]. So it’s pretty crazy, because it’s just me and a buddy shipping out, and […] I’m gonna have to hire people to ship these shirts out.”
A number of seasons have passed since then. Bowman is still a mainstay on the grid and has the confidence of the top brass at Hendrick Motorsports. He finished the 2025 season in 13th place. Hopefully, he will secure a higher finish in the upcoming season and solidify his place in the organization.
