CONCORD, N.C. -- Like most of the NASCAR Cup Series field, Alex Bowman is over the rain delay at Texas Motor Speedway that now has stretched into three days.
The driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has been waiting since Sunday to continue the second race in the Round of 8. The holdup has been anything but exciting.
“Should we just race the jet dryers? Are there enough of them for everybody?” Bowman joked. “We could race the rental cars – there’s all kinds of stuff we could race here. It’s definitely boring – painful for everybody. Obviously, everybody is working hard to try to dry the racetrack and the weather just isn’t cooperating. So, (I’m) bummed for everybody here. It’s the same for all of us – we’re all just sitting around, whether it’s NASCAR officials, track officials, or drivers. We’re all kind of in the same boat together.”
Bowman started in fifth and secured the lead for several laps on Sunday. He pitted right before the race was delayed and currently is placed 18th for when the race starts again. Despite the anticipation to get the event underway, Bowman said he is feeling calm and collected. He’s been working on his computer and has squeezed a workout in. However, he’s ready to get back to the track.
“I’m really confident in our race car for when we get back going. Obviously, we got the lead there and drove away from the field a little bit, so I know we have a really fast car. So, I’m really looking forward to that. Obviously, we’re buried a little bit on the track position now, but I’m just ready to go.”
Bowman anticipates the No. 88 team to adjust their strategy for whenever racing does get underway due to the chilly conditions and cool, damp track. He’s expecting the team to hit the ground running and for them to pick up where they left off.
“I was so happy with the race car,” Bowman said. “I was nervous going in, just because this is a place we’ve really struggled at in the past. We’ve really only had one really strong race here. Was really just looking forward to getting here and seeing how the car was going to be, and it was just really good off the bat. So, that gives me a lot of confidence. We were a little free, so I feel like the racetrack kind of gripping up will help us and we’ll just have to go from there.
“Obviously, the temperatures dropped tremendously. We’re now 18th instead of leading, so that’s something we’re going to have to overcome. Just looking forward to getting going.”