During his post-race interview, Alex Bowman provided pivotal Alex Bowman pit road interview insights, highlighting how tire issues and difficult restarts limited the team’s chances at Bristol. Despite brief moments of optimism, Bowman acknowledged the ongoing struggle to find consistent grip, particularly in the crucial late stages of the race.
When asked about the primary factor affecting their performance, Bowman explained that no single issue was responsible for their outcome.
“I don’t think really one thing. I don’t think you can really point at something that cost us. Being out of tires at the end isn’t good, right, and honestly, we just played the hand that we could and stayed out.”
—Alex Bowman, Driver
He further detailed that restarting on cycle tires was especially challenging. Bowman noted,
“But if I had to pick one thing, our cycle tire restarts were just really poor. I couldn’t go at all. Zero grip. Our restarts on stickers or even when we’d put our qualifying scuffs on and stuff, it was fine, but cycle tires was really bad.”
—Alex Bowman, Driver
Tire Strategy and Team Efforts in the Race’s Final Phase
As the event progressed and the supply of fresh tires diminished, Bowman and his Ally 48 team faced a critical strategic dilemma. The team chose to stay out on older rubber, attempting to make the best of a difficult situation. Throughout the race, Bowman’s pit crew worked diligently, reacting to changing tires and evolving track conditions.
Despite the disappointment, Bowman was adamant in his support for his crew, stating,
“Hats off to our whole Ally 48 team. They did a good job throughout the course of the day and trying to be better after a rough last two weeks, and I think we swung it the right direction, and we can continue to do that for the next, what do we have, seven weeks left. We’ve just got to keep digging.”
—Alex Bowman, Driver
Bowman admitted that not advancing to the next round was a tough pill to swallow, especially given the team’s precarious position entering the Bristol race.
“Certainly sucks to not transfer, but our back was against the wall coming in here. We knew it was going to be a tough thing to do.”
—Alex Bowman, Driver
Looking Ahead: Improving for the Rest of the Season
With seven races left in the NASCAR season, Bowman was questioned about the lessons learned and the path forward. He expressed confidence in the team’s capability while acknowledging challenges faced in recent races.
“Yeah, we’re a plenty capable race team a lot of the time, and just the last two weeks we’ve just not been very good. I thought those tracks would be a little tough for us but not how they were.”
—Alex Bowman, Driver
Bowman observed the need for continued adjustments, referencing the evolution of tires, the competition, and car performance.
“Even coming here, we were typically a good bit better than we were tonight and yesterday when we come here. We have some work to do on our race cars, but everybody is always working, getting better, and tires change and the field changes. We’ve just got to keep digging to get better.”
—Alex Bowman, Driver
Reflecting on the team’s pace this summer compared to recent results, he remarked,
“I think this summer we were so fast every week that I’m a little surprised to be down on speed, but the guys work really hard, and we’ll keep digging on it.”
—Alex Bowman, Driver
Broader Implications for Bowman and the Ally 48 Team
The outcome at Bristol underscores the unpredictable nature of NASCAR, where shifting variables such as tire performance and track dynamics can swiftly alter a team’s fate. Bowman’s honesty in addressing the struggles, combined with his acknowledgment of the efforts by the Ally 48 crew, sets a focused tone for the final stretch of the season. With lessons learned from cycle tire restarts and changing conditions, the team will enter the remaining races determined to regain their competitive edge and improve their standings.
