After a challenging start to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, Alex Bowman faced a critical need to win at Bristol to secure a spot in the Round of 12. Although his car showed moments of competitiveness during the Bristol Night Race, Bowman ultimately finished eighth, missing advancement by 10 points behind Austin Cindric. Following his elimination, Bowman shared insights with NBC Sports on what hindered his No. 48 team‘s performance that night.
Key Issues with Tire Performance and Restarts
Bowman identified tire struggles as a major factor in his race outcome, particularly during crucial restarts. He said,
“I don’t think you can really point at one thing that cost us. Being out of tires at the end isn’t good, right? Honestly, we just played the hand that we could and stayed out,”
Bowman said.
“If I had to pick one thing, our cycle tire restarts were just really poor — I couldn’t go at all, zero grip. Our restarts on stickers, or even when we put our scuffs on, it was fine, but cycle tires were really bad.”
This lack of grip during tire cycles affected his ability to compete in those pivotal moments and impacted his overall race position.
Reflecting on Progress and Looking Forward
Despite the disappointment, Bowman remains focused on improvement and the remainder of the season. He commented,
“… Trying to be better after a rough last two weeks, and I think we swung it in the right direction, and we can continue to do that for the next [seven weeks]. We’ve just got to keep digging. It sucks to not transfer, but our back was against the wall coming in here. We knew it was going to be a tough thing to do. Not terrible day for us, and we’ll keep digging.”
His perspective shows steady determination to build upon the progress made even in tough circumstances.
Implications for Bowman and the Season Ahead
With his playoff run concluded, Bowman’s focus will shift to regrouping and preparing for future races beyond the Round of 12. The Bristol race highlighted specific areas — especially tire management and restarts — that will require attention to enhance competitiveness in upcoming events. His resilience and willingness to learn from these experiences could influence his performance moving forward in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series.
