Alex Bowman finds 'stamp of approval" in first NASCAR win

Alex Bowman had heard the critics.

When Bowman was named as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s replacement next season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, his ascension raised a lot of eyebrows.

Yes, he had done a solid job filling in for Earnhardt last season while Earnhardt suffered from a concussion, but the 24-year-old native of Tucson, Ariz., had never won a NASCAR race.

That fact alone was apparently enough to disqualify him in their eyes.

After Saturday night’s rain-delayed Drive for the Cure 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, that reason is no longer a valid one.

Bowman, making one of two starts in the Xfinity Series this season for Chip Ganassi Racing, took the lead with 31 of 200 laps remaining and held on to secure his first NASCAR national series victory.

“I’ve heard plenty of people say that I had never won any of the three NASCAR touring series races. I’ve had plenty of them slip away for various reasons, dominated plenty of them. We’ve led a bunch in a lot of them,” Bowman said.

“Definitely this win kind of gives a stamp of approval that I can do it and on top of that, to be out of the car for so long, it’s awesome to get back in the car and know that there were a few things I was a little rusty on but for the most part, I didn’t feel like a lost a bunch.”

Bowman has made only one other national series start this season, the Truck race at Atlanta, where he finished sixth driving for GMS Racing.

But Bowman has still seen plenty of track time this season. He has logged hundreds of miles this season driving Chevrolet’s wheel-force car at tests, which provides valuable data for simulation programs.

Still, Saturday night’s Xfinity race was his first competitive NASCAR event in a car and he was anxious to see who he would perform with a team that has won multiple races this season.

“It’s definitely very reassuring. Hopefully, it puts some of the people who talking to rest,” he said. “We’re going into 2018 to win a lot races in that No. 88 car.”

Bowman said he hasn’t won a race in anything since the 2012 season.

“To go through the ups and downs of my career, to align myself with Hendrick Motorsports, and have those days wondering if I would be able to drive a race car any more, it makes this so much more special,” he said.

“There’s plenty of race car drivers that could have sat in this car and won tonight but I’m just thankful to be that guy.”