CONCORD, N.C. – Coming off of a top-10 finish in the All-Star Race, Alex Bowman is gearing up for the longest race of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“Charlotte is going to be really hot, and just the amount of time that you’re in the car, it’s a really long night,” Bowman said. “But I think if you can just mentally stay where you need to be for 600 miles, it’s not as bad as some of the other ones.”
Between the heat and the grueling demands inside the car, the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will have to be at the top of his game heading into Sunday’s race.
“It’s mentally draining to be in the car that long,” the driver said. “I think the forecast says it’s going to be like 92 degrees. So, it’s going to be a hot one.”
Bowman has raced at the mile-and-a-half track six times throughout his career. His best finish of ninth came last spring after qualifying 27th for the 400-lap event. He anticipates Sunday’s race under the lights will be action-packed.
“The 600 is going to be a really interesting race just with how it is going to play out,” he said. “The racing that we’ve seen in Charlotte with this package has been super aggressive. Trying to do that for 600 miles, you’re going to wear yourself out, wear your race car out.”
This weekend, Bowman is looking to add to his impressive three consecutive runner-up finishes.
“We have momentum from the past three races on our side and I know the guys back at the shop have been working endless hours on these cars,” the driver said. “I think momentum is really important and just the morale that it brings the guys, kind of the boost it gives your team."
Bowman and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates will take the green flag this Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway at 6 p.m. ET on FOX.