CHICAGO — Alex Bowman thinks he is moving in the right direction. With the NASCAR Cup Series back in Chicago to race Sunday, it’s good timing for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Bowman raced to a sorely needed victory on the downtown streets of the Windy City a year ago, ending an 80-race drought and securing a spot in the playoffs. He is still looking for his first win this season, but he finished third last weekend at EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta.
The 32-year-old Bowman is the only driver to win at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, a 45-mile drive from downtown, and on the Chicago street course, which debuted in 2023. He got his first Cup Series victory at Chicagoland in 2019 as NASCAR’s top circuit ended a 19-year run at the 1.5-mile track.
“As far as confidence coming into this race, I feel like we’re plenty capable,” Bowman said Saturday. “We’re typically pretty good at road courses. A lot of confidence coming into these places.”
Bowman struggled at the beginning of June, finishing 36th in back-to-back oval races at Nashville Superspeedway and Michigan International Speedway. The No. 48 Chevrolet driver turned it around in Mexico City, finishing fourth at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez — a 2.42-mile permanent road course with 15 turns.