TC Daily Pit Stop: Alex Bowman Surprises for Win on Streets of Chicago; Bubba Hits Bowman on Cool-Down Lap; Elliott Confronts Suarez; SVG, Larson Exit Race Early
TC Daily Pit Stop: Monday, July 8, 2024
Alex Bowman Powers to Unlikely Victory on The Streets of Chicago
Alex Bowman’s 80-race winless streak was snapped in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Grant Park 165. The driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and his crew chief Blake Harris utilized a strategy call at the end of Stage 2, and the Darkness Clock to pull off the win.
Bowman made the race-winning pass on Joey Hand at Lap 51, and then he held off a hard-charging Tyler Reddick, who was on slick tires, on the final lap. Reddick, who had closed the gap to around a second, caught the wall on the exit of Turn 5, which allowed Bowman to comfortably score his eighth career win.
Ty Gibbs finished third, Hand held on to finish fourth, and Michael McDowell rounded out the top-five finishers.
READ MORE
Race Resources
ATYL: Should the Chicago Street Course Return in 2025? | Rain Returns and TV Time Debates
Taylor Kitchen breaks down whether NASCAR should return to the Chicago Street Course in 2025, after the race has been mired by rain the last two seasons, and she recaps Sunday’s Grant Park 165 in this week’s Above the Yellow Line.
WATCH VIDEO
Video: Bubba Wallace Slams into Alex Bowman on Cool Down Lap At Chicago
While Alex Bowman was celebrating his victory in Sunday’s Grant Park 165, Bubba Wallace had not forgotten about a Lap 24incident, where Bowman sent him spinning to the rear of the field. Wallace slammed into Bowman’s car on the cool-down lap, which lifted the right side tires on Bowman’s car off the ground.
Bowman said after the race that he felt Wallace’s contact post-race was justified, and he doesn’t think Wallace should be penalized for it.
WATCH VIDEO
Video: Chase Elliott Confronts Daniel Suarez After Chicago Street Race
Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez were battling for a position inside the top-15 on the final lap of Sunday’s race at Chicago when Elliott shoved Suarez out of the way in Turn 11. That contact sent Suarez into Brad Keselowski, which sent Keselowski into the tire barrier.
In the next turn, Suarez repaid the favor, and sent Elliott spinning out. The end result, Elliott’s 22-race top-20 finishing streak came to an end. On the cool-down lap, Elliott took a swipe at Suarez’s car, then slammed on his brakes in front of him. When they got to pit road, Elliott confronted Suarez and the two talked it out.
WATCH VIDEO
Video: Top-Five Runner Kyle Larson SMASHES Turn Six Barrier at Chicago
WATCH VIDEO
Video: Shane van Gisbergen Done for Day After Crash in Rain with Chase Briscoe
