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| Alex Bowman is knocking on the door loudly for first Cup win. |
“I love Pocono. We got a third-place finish there last year and ran really strong throughout the entire race. Pocono is very unique, and it is different from the tracks we typically go to. The Tunnel Turn is pretty challenging at times, especially since they paved it.”
Bowman on No. 88 team momentum:
“We have been running pretty well the last few weeks. We definitely didn’t start out great in the 600 but got better toward the end and was able to salvage a seventh-place finish. Greg (Ives) and the guys have worked really hard on this 88 car and its is showing on track. We have made up a lot of ground in the point standings and we need to continue having weeks like we have been.”
Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Friday, May 31, at 12 p.m. local time in the media center at Pocono Raceway.
BEST 600 FINISH: Bowman crossed the line seventh in Sunday night’s 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 26-year-old driver rolled off the grid in 13th for the 400-lap race. The No. 88 Chevrolet finished Stage 1 in 14th and when Stage 2 concluded, he was scored in second. Bowman reported that his car was too tight and had no front grip. At the end of Stage 3, he was running sixth and earned valuable stage points. Following the pit stop at the end of the third stage, the driver of No. 88 machine experienced a small vibration and came to pit road on Lap 353 with a flat right-rear tire. The Arizona native restarted 18th on Lap 365. By the conclusion of the event, he came across the line seventh which is his best-career finish in the 600-mile race. Bowman and the No. 88 team are now 10th in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings, just 155 markers behind the leader.
AXALTA ON BOARD: This weekend marks the fifth of 12 events in which the Axalta colors will adorn the No. 88 Chevy. Axalta will be on the No. 88 machine again at Sonoma and Chicagoland. Last year, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Axalta signed a four-year contract extension that will take the partnership through 2022. The leading global supplier of liquid and powder coatings unveiled a new Axalta Racing website last year that includes plenty of behind-the-scenes content, photos, and videos. Check out Bowman’s page here.
BOWMAN AT THE TRICKY TRIANGLE: On Sunday, Bowman will make his seventh start at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 26-year-old has completed 99.2 percent of laps within his six events that he has competed in at the Pennsylvania track. The driver's track-best finish of third came in his last appearance when he started 10th for the 164-lap event. Back in 2016, Bowman made one start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the track, starting and finishing 10th in the spring event. The Arizona native also has two starts in the ARCA Series at the track back in 2012, where he finished third in both events.
LOOKING FOR A WIN: Three drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series have finished second in 2019 but have yet to claim a victory. Bowman has finished second three times since Talladega in April. The No. 88 machine has led 94 laps in the last four events.
EYES ON THE POINTS: In the last four races, Bowman and the No. 88 team have had a 91-point swing in the point standings. The driver was scored in the 21st position in the standings following Richmond, 15th after Talladega, 13th after Dover, 12th after Kansas and 10th following last weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bowman is now 64 points above the playoff cut line.
IVES AT POCONO: This weekend marks the ninth time that crew chief Greg Ives will call the shots for the No. 88 team at Pocono Raceway. The crew chief’s resume includes three top-five finishes at the 2.5-mile track since 2015. Ives’ best finish at the track came back in 2016 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second. Last year at the Pennsylvania track, Ives led Bowman to his best finish of the 2018 season, taking the checkered flag in third at the July race. Before moving to the No. 88 team, the Michigan native was a race engineer for the No. 48 team between 2006 and 2012. During that time, the team captured 11 top-10 finishes and one pole award at the track.
ALL IN THE NUMBER: The No. 88 car is second on the list of most Pocono wins by car number. There have been seven times that the driver of the No. 88 machine claimed the victory at the 2.5-mile track. Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett, and Bobby Allison have all won twice in the No. 88 car and Darrell Waltrip won once behind the wheel of the No. 88 machine.
HOMETOWN TRACK: Jason Seitzinger, shock engineer for the No. 88 team, grew up in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania which is located about 70-miles from Pocono Raceway. Seitzinger’s first job was at Penske Racing Shocks in Reading, Pa where he worked inside the parts room. This was ultimately how he got the nickname “Penske.” Seitzinger has been with Hendrick Motorsports for 17 years.
MEET BOWMAN: Fans can meet Bowman this weekend at Pocono Raceway. On Saturday and Sunday, fans can find the driver at the Fan Stage in the Fan Midway at 9:45 a.m. local time.
PITCH TO WIN BIG: Small Business Week ran from May 5-11 and recognized small businesses everywhere. Nationwide and BlueVine are teaming up to give away up to $100,000 to one small business to help it grow. From now until June 30, small-business owners can visit www.pitchtowinbig.com to enter for a chance to win funds to achieve their business goals. Nationwide and BlueVine will select the contest finalists, who will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Nationwide’s headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, to pitch business leaders during a live “Pitch to Win” event. The winning pitch will win the $100,000 prize, with second place receiving $20,000 and third place taking home $10,000.
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