While Alex Bowman felt frustrated to see a prospective win come and go on the closing laps at Circuit of the Americas on Sunday, he decided to stay optimistic for his mate Ross Chastain.
In overtime Sunday, Chastain hit then-leader A.J. Allmendinger in Turn 17 of the 3.41-mile, 20-turn track, as Bowman passed both to take the lead.
But only for a short time.
Chastain then collided with Allmendinger in Turn 18, causing Allmendinger’s car to collide with Bowman’s, sending both cars off the racetrack. Two turns later, Chastain took the lead and won his first race of the season.
Bowman and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet battled back to complete second, marking his career-best performance on the road track.
“He’s a friend,” Bowman said of Chastain. “He is a pain in the ass to race with but I tell him that all the time. Just happy for him.
I’m on the wrong side of it, but just I know what he’s feeling right now and I’m pumped for him and all the work he’s put in for this
“I would have done the same thing if I were Ross.”
Bowman, 28, said he has been putting in a lot of attempts to enhance as a race driver. After finishing fifth, he spent nearly the whole race in the top ten.
Despite the fact that he had never led a lap, Bowman was in a great position to profit from what many anticipated to be a tense overtime duel for the lead.
“I’m just really proud of my team. I’ve worked so hard to be a better road course racer and I feel we’re heading that direction,” Bowman said.
“Hate that we can’t come away with a win, but happy for Ross getting his first win. It’s been a crap weekend, so I’m ready to get home and see the dogs and move on to next weekend. Glad to come away with a second-place finish.”
Bowman actually moved to tenth in the series rankings with his second-place result. With his win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month, he’s all but guaranteed a spot in the 2022 playoffs.
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Alex Bowman, Ross Chastain, Daytona 500, Grand Prix, IndyCar, Nascar, NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity