Most fans expected the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season to be a redemption story for Chase Elliott. While he is still on the hunt for a championship, it is his teammate Alex Bowman who has bounced back up from a deeper pit. The No. 48 driver went over two years without a win until he reached victory lane in Chicago last July. And the consistency of his performances has only grown since making it to the playoffs.
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Coming up next for him is a stern test in Talladega. Neither has he secured a win on the superspeedway nor does he have a great track record on it. His results range from decent finishes in the top 5 to lowly finishes outside the top 20. His inability to find his flow in the venue is certainly worrying.
But there’s something different about Bowman at the moment. He has scored over 160 points in the last four races. He will hope to keep that form intact until the end of the season and make a solid challenge for the championship. Breaking past his previous performances in Talladega will be key in this journey.
His most recent visit to the track ended in a fifth-place finish. This ought to give him some confidence heading into Sunday. He is currently sixth on the points table and eight points above the Round of 8 elimination line. The goal ideally will be to go for the win and secure a seat in the next round, but he just might choose to play it safe and hope to qualify on points.
Fans rally behind Bowman in support of his resurgence
Fans have loved Bowman’s return to form, and they want to see him win more races. The No. 48 is a legendary number in NASCAR and was associated with the great Jimmie Johnson back in the day. Watching the car leading races again appears to have hit the fandom with a strong dose of nostalgia.
“Died 2020 Born 2024 Welcome Back Jimmie Johnson,” one user commented below an X post by NASCAR that highlighted Bowman’s incredible playoff run. Others believe that the 31-year-old is a legit contender for the championship. A fan wrote, “I think he’s going to win the championship.” Another quipped, “We’ve got a playoff Dark Horse on our hands!”
Died 2020 Born 2024 Welcome Back Jimmie Johnson
— Devin Cook (@DevinCook69) September 30, 2024
“Momentum and Great Team Effort for the best Driver,” yet another said. Bowman is still considered an underdog for the title. Thankfully, tracks like Talladega favor underdogs. All he needs to do is make sure that he doesn’t get tangled up in a wreck. One can only imagine the scenes if Bowman becomes the 2024 Cup Series champion against all odds. It would be unexpected, but what a story that would be.
