Alex Bowman! Like that guy. Used to think he was too boring. Now think he’s lovably boring. Seems like a good fella.
The Winner
Whoops, that’s Bowman. Maybe should’ve written those lines here.
The Race
Denny Hamlin won each of the first two stages, with some competition from Martin Truex Jr., then Joey Logano. Bowman hung around all day, though, coming back after an uncontrolled tire penalty sent him to the back to start what I believe was the third stage and turning it on after the final restart to pass Hamlin for the win.
Notable Names
Hamlin wound up 2nd.
Logano was 3rd.
Christopher Bell finished 4th.
Truex sped on pit row and had to pass-through late. He was 5th.
Aric Almirola had a much-needed good day, coming in 6th.
William Byron was 7th.
Kyle Busch was 8th.
Matt DiBenedetto managed 9th.
Austin Dillon finished 10th.
Ryan Blaney was 11th.
Chase Elliott was 12th.
Kurt Busch was 13th.
Brad Keselowski’s team made a bizarre decision not to pit towards the end of the second stage and paid dearly, finishing 14th.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was 17th.
Kyle Larson was 18th.
Erik Jones was 19th.
Tyler Reddick was 20th.
Chase Briscoe was 22nd.
Cole Custer was 23rd.
Kevin Harvick lost a tire late and hit the wall, finishing 24th.
Chris Buescher was 25th.
Bubba Wallace was 26th.
Michael McDowell was 27th.
Ryan Newman had some contact with Austin Cindric and finished 30th.
Standings
Nine races in, 17 more before the playoffs. So these are starting to get meaningful, even with a ton of racing left:
1. Truex (2 wins)
2. Logano (1 win)
3. Byron (1 win)
4. Blaney (1 win)
5. Larson (1 win)
6. Bell (1 win)
7. Bowman (1 win)
8. McDowell (1 win)
9. Hamlin (230 points ahead of first driver out)
10. Elliott (81 points ahead of first driver out)
11. Harvick (69 points ahead of first driver out)
12. Keselowski (65 points ahead of first driver out)
13. Kyle Busch (41 points ahead of first driver out)
14. Dillon (35 points ahead of first driver out)
15. Stenhouse (18 points ahead of first driver out)
16. Kurt Busch (last driver in, 10 points ahead of first driver out)
17. Buescher (first driver out, 10 points behind last driver in)
18. DiBenedetto (39 points behind last driver in)
19. Newman (40 points behind last driver in)
20. Wallace (46 points behind last driver in)
…
22. Reddick (53 points behind last driver in)
…
26. Jones (67 points behind last driver in)
27. Almirola (77 points behind last driver in)
28. Briscoe (85 points behind last driver in)
Thoughts, Implications
That’s huge for Bowman, who was looking like he might have to sweat out the bubble. Fun, as many said, to see the 48 car win again.
Hamlin’s in great shape, as he said after the race, even though he hasn’t won yet. Near the top in playoff points with all his stage wins. Clearly has a competitive car.
We’re really seeing the impact of the McDowell and Bell wins now that they narrow the playoff field. Hard to imagine anyone in the top 13 missing the cut, which makes it tough for the others. Talladega could provide an unexpected winner, too, being the big track that it is.
What’s Next
Talladega. Hell yes.
Videos, Fun Stuff
Nothing too dramatic, but here are a few clips of Newman spinning, Harvick’s flat tire, Hamlin bumping Logano in a pass, and Bowman’s winning pass:
