WATCH: Alex Bowman Left Frustrated With Shane van Gisbergen After Lapped Traffic Hurts Richmond Win Bid

Any new winner this season from below the cut line at Daytona next week will automatically knock Alex Bowman out of playoff contention. After finishing second at Richmond, he now heads into the regular-season finale clinging to the P16 playoff spot, a precarious position that already had him on edge, which could have been avoided had he won the race. But then frustrations with Shane van Gisbergen and a couple of lapped cars added fuel to the fire.

At Richmond, Bowman came within one position of a season-defining victory. He was reeling in race winner Austin Dillon during the closing laps, but never got the chance to mount a challenge, his run stymied by traffic. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet made it clear that the lapped cars were the difference in the end.

What irked him most in the final 10 laps was SVG’s driving, which slowed his progress despite SVG running a lap down with no position at stake. Bowman even weaved in front of SVG on the cooldown lap and flashed a hand gesture.

“They’re not gonna help us. They hate us,” Bowman radioed in frustration as he tried to clear van Gisbergen, who was sitting in P14. His irritation only grew when Dillon’s teammate Jesse Love also got in the way, prompting more radio chatter about Chevrolet teams refusing to lend him any help.

Seemed like the thing Alex Bowman was most upset about in the last 10 laps was the way Shane van Gisbergen raced him, which impeded his progress despite SVG being a lap down not racing anyone.

Looked like Bowman weaved in front of SVG on cooldown and made a hand gesture. pic.twitter.com/Sk7HixLGo6

— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) August 17, 2025

As tensions mounted, Bowman bounced off Erik Jones’ door and later brake-checked SVG’s No. 88 Trackhouse Chevrolet after the race. Asked what he needed to seal the win, Bowman said, “Just favors. But sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t.”

He added, “So, as frustrated as I was, just needed to be better. Needed to take care of my rear tires better. Shenanigans with the #4 heated up my rears and then I just couldn’t get going again. So, bummer on that, but (it’s) a part of it.”

Bowman also reflected, “I certainly think we had the better car. Unfortunately, (I) didn’t get there. The team, clearly, we’re not very popular through the garage with that last run (smiling). Still doing a really good job and executing at a high level. Just proud of all the guys to continue to work hard and try to overcome the situation we’re in, and we’ll keep digging.”

Looking ahead to Daytona, Bowman admitted to the weight of the moment. He acknowledged it would be a stressful week on multiple fronts, saying that with the way the race usually plays out, it feels like a must-win because the odds strongly favor a new winner emerging.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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