Alex Bowman is 100/1 to win at Pocono in Eagles scheme

Alex Bowman was 27th in the June race driving the No. 88.

Alex Bowman on racing at Pocono:
“That place is also very unique. It’s one of my favorite places we go. I enjoy it just because it’s so different and we shift and all that. We were really strong the first Pocono race, just got crashed late. So, hopefully we end up pretty solid there.”

Bowman on his special paint scheme:
“We are running the All-Pro Teachers car, so that will be pretty cool. We will have the winner of the All-Pro Teachers award there, too, so that will be pretty cool and hopefully we get it up front.”

AXALTA, EAGLES AND ALL-PRO TEACHERS: Axalta will be the primary sponsor on the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend in Pocono. Instead of its primary colors, the car will feature the colors of the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles. The All-Pro Teachers campaign will be the primary focus of the weekend’s paint scheme, honoring teachers in the Philadelphia area. The 2017 All-Pro Teacher will be in attendance at Sunday’s race and will get to meet Alex Bowman and the No. 88 Axalta team.

BOWMAN AT THE TRICKY TRIANGLE: Bowman has five previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono Raceway. Earlier this season, the No. 88 team qualified 14th and finished 27th after an on-track incident on Lap 148 that caused heavy right-rear damage. In 2016, Bowman made his only start at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and finished 10th. The Tucson, Arizona, native captured two third-place finishes at the track in the ARCA Racing Series in 2012, leading a total of seven laps. A win for Bowman this weekend would mark the eighth different Hendrick Motorsports driver to win at the track, which would be a record.

NO. 88 AT POCONO: The No. 88 machine is no stranger to Victory Lane at Pocono. The car number has won seven times – tied for second-most all-time at the track – with four different drivers. Dale Earnhardt Jr. swept the 2014 Cup Series events at the track, leading 25 laps in total. Dale Jarrett wheeled the No. 88 to Victory Lane in 1997 and again in 2002. Bobby Allison swept the Pocono events in 1982, leading 91 laps between the two events. In July 1978, Darrell Waltrip captured the victory in the No. 88 machine after leading a race-high 125 laps.

IVES AT POCONO: Crew chief Greg Ives has called the shots seven times for the No. 88 team at the "Tricky Triangle." The Michigan native has two top-five finishes, both with Earnhardt. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team from 2006-2012 and captured one pole, six top five and 11 top-10 finishes at the track during that span.

HOME-TRACK FEELS: Jason Seitzinger, shock engineer for the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, grew up in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania, which is located approximately 70 miles from Pocono Raceway. It has been just a few months shy of 17 years that Seitzinger has been with Hendrick Motorsports.

NEW HAMPSHIRE REWIND: The No. 88 team qualified eighth for the rain-delayed event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend. Bowman battled the handling of his No. 88 Chevy for much of the 301-lap event before bringing home an 11th-place finish. The team is currently 15th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings and 28 points above the cutoff line for the playoffs.

TRAINING CAMP: Bowman will visit with the Philadelphia Eagles at training camp, located at the NovaCare Complex in Philadelphia, on Friday, July 27. Bowman, along with Axalta VIPs and the All-Pro Teacher winner, will have the opportunity to meet some of the Eagles players and executives. In addition to the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 having an Eagles-themed paint scheme this weekend, Bowman will also wear a Philadelphia Eagles racing helmet that resembles the Eagles' team helmet.

COOKING WITH BOWMAN: On Friday, July 27, Bowman will participate in Pocono Raceway’s Fan Fest at 8 p.m. local time. Joined by teammate Chase Elliott, the two will compete in a Hungry Fan Throwdown cooking competition. For more information, visit poconoraceway.com/fanfest.

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: On Thursday, July 19, Hendrick Motorsports released Bowman’s Spotify playlist, featuring some of his favorite music to date. Bowman said his music taste began taking shape after receiving a Blink-182 album in fifth grade. Check out Bowman’s playlist, which features music genres ranging from pop-punk to alternative, here.

VALVOLINE: Valvoline is giving race fans the chance to win a trip for two to Las Vegas to meet Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and watch him race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 16. One grand-prize winner will receive a travel voucher for airfare, hotel stay and car rental courtesy of Valvoline. The winner will also get the chance to be the honorary pit crew member for the No. 88 team, which includes premium seating, behind-the-scenes access, a meet-and-greet with Bowman and other exclusive experiences. Fans can enter here until Aug. 1.