Alex Bowman Admits Crucial Mistake Cost Him Homestead NASCAR Victory
Alex Bowman lost a potential victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway after hitting the wall with seven laps remaining, allowing teammate Kyle Larson to claim the win in the Straight Talk Wireless 400.
Leading 43 laps from pole position, Bowman's mistake came when his Ally Chevrolet caught the wall in Turns 3 and 4 while defending against a charging Larson. The impact damaged his car's handling, resulting in a second-place finish.
Race cars competing at COTA track
"I guess I choked that one away," Bowman admitted post-race. "I burned my stuff up trying to hold off the 5 car. I hit the wall pretty hard with the right front, which affected the car's handling, and then made another mistake hitting the fence."
Despite the disappointment, the result marks Bowman's fourth consecutive top-10 finish and first top-five of the season. He now sits third in the Cup Series points standings, having finished in the top 10 in five of six races this season.
Crew chief Blake Harris remained positive, highlighting the team's improvements at Homestead, where they've historically struggled. Bowman acknowledged the progress, noting, "We have some work to do, but overall it was a really good weekend for us at a track that hasn't been very good to us in the past."