Alex Bowman Fans Reaction to Daytona_ Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports came so close to winning his first Daytona 500, but partner William Byron’s surge to the finish line during a huge controversy stopped him.
At the wave of the white flag, Byron and Bowman were racing for the lead. Suddenly, a caution flag flew because Austin Cindric had crashed into Ross Chastain. Because the leaders had already crossed the finish line when the caution was called, Byron in the #24 HMS machine was declared the winner, barely beating out his partner.
Because of the result, there was a huge uproar on social media about whether Bowman should have been given his long-awaited victory. When people spoke out against it, Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon, who are in charge of Hendrick Motorsports, chose a quiet reaction. They were still celebrating their team’s historic ninth Daytona 500 victory on their 40th anniversary of competing in the famous race.
Reflecting on the contentious conclusion, Bowman broke his silence during a recent appearance on the Dale Jr. Download podcast. Addressing the team’s stoic stance and the flurry of online blame directed his way for the incident, Bowman revealed the complex emotions of narrowly missing out on a coveted crown jewel victory.
- “Bowman, in a candid moment, shared his perspective on the controversial finish, acknowledging his lack of access to all the NASCAR data and expressing his genuine happiness for teammate William Byron’s triumph. Reflecting on the unique dynamics of the situation, Bowman hinted at the potential for deeper scrutiny had it involved non-teammates, while also recognizing NASCAR’s authoritative role in such determinations. Despite the uproar on social media and the unwarranted blame he faced for the late-race incident, Bowman maintained a measured stance, offering insight into the complexities of navigating fan reactions amidst the intensity of competition.“
- “Then, five minutes later, they praised me for coming so close to winning the Daytona 500 by a mere inch. That’s just the way things go nowadays, and I don’t want to come across as bitter about it in any way,” he elaborated.”
Despite his disappointment in missing out on the victory, Alex Bowman displayed sportsmanship by expressing happiness for his teammate William Byron and the team’s success.
However, Bowman’s involvement in triggering the ‘Big One’ with nine laps remaining raised eyebrows. Pushing teammate William Byron into Brad Keselowski’s #6 Ford resulted in a chain reaction that took out several contenders. Surprisingly, Bowman claimed he was unaware of causing the wreck, citing limited visibility from his cockpit.
- “I didn’t really see what started it. I feel like it started in the third lane?” Bowman mentioned in a conversation with Jeff Gluck post-race. Upon being informed of the incident, he admitted, “I can’t even see far enough (ahead) to see that Byron hitting Keselowski is what started it. I knew I had William in a spot that I didn’t want to have him in. But we’re all just sort of sandwiched up there.“
Bowman’s remarks have prompted discussions about the visibility challenges faced by drivers and whether NASCAR needs to address this issue.
Read for more: Alex Bowman Daytona 500 Strategy Unveiled: Breaking Hendrick’s Drought?
