CONCORD, N.C. – Arizona native Alex Bowman looks forward to racing at ISM Raceway all year. For the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, the Phoenix race is a time to reconnect with family.
“My whole family is still there,” Bowman said. “Definitely always cool to go home and see them and have them out at the racetrack.”
ISM Raceway is located just outside the Phoenix border in Avondale, Arizona. The track is just two and a half hours from the driver’s hometown of Tucson, Arizona. The races have always served as an opportunity for Bowman to visit with his family and friends. Although his time is usually limited with a jam-packed race weekend, he tries to see his family whenever he can while in the state.
“Typically, I go to dinner with them one night if I can and everybody will come on Sunday,” Bowman said.
Bowman said the races always attract a good crowd, turning it into a big family affair.
“It will be my two brothers, their two wives, my mom, my step-mom, my dad and my grandma,” the driver said. “That is really about it. And then, my grandma kind of invites everybody she knows and turns it into a party. I think her hairdresser goes with her even. It’s kind of ridiculous. You could honestly sell that place out on my grandma’s friends.”
With his family and friends in the stands cheering him on, it’s no surprise that ISM Raceway is a favorite track of Bowman’s. In the past, the driver has had some good starts and finishes in his short time with Hendrick Motorsports. In 2016, the driver captured the pole and finished the race in sixth while subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Last year, the driver qualified fourth and finished inside the top 15, followed by a fifth-place qualifying position in the fall.
“I would say there (ISM Raceway) and Charlotte are probably my two most confident places that I go as far as just feeling like I know what I need and can approach the racetrack, can maybe have a little advantage on some guys,” Bowman said. “It’s a lot of fun for me to go there because I feel like I typically run well and really know what I’m looking for.”
The race in Phoenix is just a few short days away and with Bowman’s sights set on a win, it would be one for the whole family to enjoy.
“Every single week I go to the racetrack I go to win,” the driver said. “I don’t go to try to run top 10 or try to run top five or try to have a good points day or whatever. I just want to go win.”
For more on Bowman at his home track, check out the video above.