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| Alex Bowman won his first Cup race last week at Chicagoland. |
“I'm still pretty speechless. I was able to go home and enjoy it even more with my friends and team and we won the race! I am just so thankful for Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta, Nationwide, LLumar, Valvoline and Chevrolet for believing in me. They stuck behind this team and it means so much. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity with this No. 88 team and Greg Ives. Greg is a great crew chief and I am so happy to get my first win with him.”
Bowman on Daytona:
“Going to Daytona this weekend, we have a little bit of a monkey off our back. I was one who definitely kept track of the point standings and now we can go out and focus on stage points and race wins. Being locked into the playoffs is an amazing feeling. Our goal is to get to Miami and be in the running for a championship.”
Bowman on finding success at Daytona:
“This team brought an amazing car to Talladega earlier this year and I know that these guys were back in the shop putting together a great car for this weekend. The superspeedway program at Hendrick Motorsports has always been good and the teams all work together pretty well on the track. I think we have a shot at the win this weekend, too, which is a great feeling.”
WINNER, WINNER: Last weekend, Alex Bowman and the No. 88 team led 88 laps en route to a victory at Chicagoland Speedway. It was Bowman’s first career NASCAR Cup Series victory and No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives’ fifth win. The team qualified eighth for the 267-lap event last Sunday and finished both stages inside the top 10, earning valuable stage points. Bowman is now locked into the NASCAR playoffs, which kick off later this season. He is now one of 10 drivers to capture their first Cup Series victory with Hendrick Motorsports, an all-time record.
BRING IT HOME: On Monday afternoon, the winning Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 made its way back to Hendrick Motorsports. Hauler drivers Andy “Squiggs” Quillan and Scott Denton returned around 1 p.m. local time and unloaded the confetti-covered Axalta machine and the Chicagoland trophy. Check it out here.
GOING FOR TWO: The last time a driver captured his first two series victories back-to-back was in 1964 when Billy Wade captured his first win at Old Bridge and went on to get his second win the following weekend at Bridgehampton. Bowman finished second in the last superspeedway race at Talladega back in April and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott, took home the win. The No. 88 team is looking to have back-to-back wins this weekend at Daytona.
BOWMAN IN DAYTONA: Bowman is set to make his seventh start at Daytona International Speedway this Saturday night. The Tucson, Arizona, native has one pole (February 2018) and one top-10 finish at the superspeedway. During the July race weekend last season, Bowman and the No. 88 team finished 10th after rolling off second for the 168-lap event. The driver has led a total of 14 laps at the Florida-based track and has completed 99.6 percent of the total number of laps run.
A LOT OF FIRSTS: Bowman may have scored his first NASCAR Cup Series victory last weekend, but there are many more firsts. The Arizona native is the first Cup Series driver to get his first win at Chicagoland Speedway. He is also the first driver of the No. 88 machine to get their first win with that number on the door. Hailing from Tucson, Arizona, Bowman also became the first NASCAR driver from the state to win a Cup race.
2019 AT A GLANCE: Following last weekend’s victory at Chicagoland Speedway, the No. 88 team continues to make gains this season. This season, Bowman has one win, four top-five finishes, and six top-10s. The No. 88 team has led 182 laps this season thus far, which is more than double its number of laps led in 2018. The team is locked into the NASCAR playoffs and currently sits eighth in the playoff standings. Bowman is ranked number one on the list of drivers who have earned the most points over the last eight races this season. In that span, the 26-year-old sits first with 323 points. He also has the best average finish of the series at 6.63 in the last eight races, finishing inside the top two in four of them.
IVES' STATS: Ives will call the shots for the 10th time at Daytona International Speedway this weekend under the lights. The crew chief’s resume includes two pole wins, one win with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015, two top-five results and three top-10s at the track. Ives’ drivers have led a total of 166 laps at the superspeedway. In 2013 and 2014, Ives was a crew chief at JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His drivers led 25 laps at Daytona and had an average start of 14.8 and an average finish of 14.2. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer on the No. 48 team with Jimmie Johnson. During that time, the team had one win (2006), one second-place finish and one pole award at Daytona.
WELCOME VALVOLINE: Valvoline Inc. – a leading worldwide supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services – extended its partnershipwith Hendrick Motorsports through 2022 in January 2018. Valvoline will be on board the No. 88 Camaro ZL1 during two events this season starting this weekend at Daytona and again at Texas Motor Speedway in November. The Official Lubricants Partner for Hendrick Motorsports also serves as an associate sponsor on the team’s full stable of Chevrolets. On June 13, Valvoline and Hendrick Motorsports unveiled the special patriotic paint scheme that will run this weekend. The scheme honors the American Heroes Fund, which provides support to the American Red Cross, Building Homes for Heroes and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Check it out here.
MEET BOWMAN: If you are at Daytona International Speedway this weekend, there are two opportunities to meet the No. 88 driver. On Friday, July 5, Bowman will be at the Hendrick Motorsports/JR Motorsports merchandise trailer from 1:15-1:45 p.m. local time signing autographs. You can find the Chicagoland winner at the Chevrolet display on race day, July 6, from 3:15-3:30 p.m. local time.
EYES SET FOR THE GLEN: On Monday, June 17, Hendrick Motorsports partner Axalta Coating Systems, along with Bowman, announced a joint branding initiative with CARSTAR for the upcoming race at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 4. CARSTAR is North America’s premier network of independently owned and operated collision repair facilities. The CARSTAR logo will be featured on the television panel and roof of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Watkins Glen. In addition to the branding on the car, Bowman will also wear a special helmet designed through the “Accelerate the Cure” contest. Those affected by cystic fibrosis can design a helmet for the driver in order to raise awareness for the disease. Those interested can visit the “Accelerate the Cure” website to submit an entry. The deadline to submit is July 5.
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