Ryan Blaney’s insight on Alex Bowman playoff chances has become a major talking point as the Hendrick Motorsports driver struggles through a difficult stretch this season. In recent races, Bowman has battled a run of poor finishes, yet respected voices in the NASCAR community—like former crew chief Todd Gordon—believe a turnaround could be near, especially with several road courses ahead.
Bowman’s Tough Season and Recent Setbacks
Alex Bowman has faced significant difficulties over the past nine races, finishing 27th or worse in seven of them. His only highlights during this period were a top-ten showing at Talladega and a top-five at Kansas. Bowman’s most recent challenge came at Michigan, where he was caught up in a major crash, resulting in heavy damage to his No. 48 Chevrolet. This incident led to a 36th-place result and caused him to slip from 12th to 13th in the championship standings.
Inside the Garage: Hope Remains Alive
Despite the ongoing adversity, there is lingering optimism within the NASCAR community about Bowman’s potential playoff push. Many experts and team members believe the team still has a chance to rebound and make a run toward postseason contention over the coming months.
Expert Opinions Favor Summer Road Courses
In a recent discussion with Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton, veteran crew chief Todd Gordon offered a strategic view of Bowman’s current position.
“I know Alex is almost quietly a road course guy. He won at Chicago last year, but if you look, he’s in the hunt at COTA like year after year after year.”
—Todd Gordon, Veteran Crew Chief
Gordon continued his analysis by highlighting the slate of road courses ahead.
“He is a pretty darn good little road racer. And you look at the summer swing, we’ve got four of them coming up. You’ve got obviously Mexico City this weekend. We’ll see where that plays out for him. Then you’ve got Chicago Street Course and Sonoma back to back and Watkins Glen back in the regular season. So, I think you have to keep that,”
—Todd Gordon, Veteran Crew Chief
Gordon pointed out that Blake Harris, Bowman’s current crew chief, needs to leverage Bowman’s track record on road courses to keep the team motivated and focused, especially after a series of challenging races.
Comparisons Keep Team Focused
Adding to the conversation, Jeff Burton compared Bowman’s difficult stretch to a basketball team facing a tough first half. While the current standings may not appear promising, Burton noted that Bowman is still in a competitive position, now ranked 13th overall and 10th in stage points this season. These insights are crucial for the team’s morale as they prepare for the races ahead.
The Playoff Window Is Still Open
With 11 regular season events remaining, including four road courses and two superspeedways, the path to the playoffs is far from closed. Bowman has continually shown flashes of skill at these types of tracks, and with seven playoff positions still in contention, the opportunity remains for the No. 48 team to capitalize. Sustained optimism among experts like Todd Gordon, along with statistical promise on road courses, suggests that Ryan Blaney’s insight on Alex Bowman playoff chances could soon be proven right if Bowman and his team can turn recent adversity into momentum during this critical stretch.
As summer progresses, attention will stay fixed on Bowman’s performances at Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen. Progress on these circuits could define whether his season pivots toward a comeback and strengthens his playoff hopes in the intensely competitive NASCAR Cup Series.
